Sometimes, preoccupation just keeps on pouring down on us like water gushing over a broken faucet. We always have an endless list of things to do... and 24 hours seems too short for it. In most cases, we resort to cutting short our sleeping time from 11 hours, to 10 hours, to 8, to 6, and oftentimes less... as a means to extend our time to complete our duty everyday.
Funny as it may seem, yet even in the life of devote Christians, we also find ourselves too busy with so many things in this world that sometimes, we involuntarily (or voluntarily) cast God aside... putting the things we're busy with before Him.
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:5
About 1500 years after this verse was written, Jesus reiterated this command and put a medal on it saying: this is the greatest of them all (Mt 22:37-38). Sometimes, we simply feel that we're too busy with the world and so God would have to wait...
God however, does not treat us the same way we do to him. In fact, our Bible reading for today gives us a relevant assurance that God spends eternity... especially for us... his children...
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
Amazingly, God is gracious. Honestly speaking, I never knew a God that has the same passion to his Children as the God that we believe in. I never knew a God willing to sacrifice everything... a God willing to give up those whom he loves in exchange for us. I never knew a God who spends all his time to makes us strong, to nourish us, to discipline us, and to draw us closer to Him. In fact, I just feel so naive that all my life God is pulling me closer to Him yet sometimes I intentionally cast Him aside.
Now I know that this is not the right thing to do. I curse Him, but He didn't curse back. I disown Him, but He didn't disown me. I ran away, and He followed. I was broken, and there He was, stretching His arm to pull me up... and relieve me of my anxiety and despair. Yes, I never knew a God, or will ever know a God as the God we know and worship.
God has eternity for us. While we really can't give all our 24 hours to God, it is never wrong to spend a couple of hours for Him everyday to reflect, to talk to Him, to share your concerns and to do good in His eyes. all the things that we do to please Him... dear friends, all these little things will never go unrewarded. God knows and will reward us at the exact time we need those rewards. We may be unaware of most of them, yet these things are God's way to remain anonymous. That unless we seek Him, we will never find Him.
God wants us to seek Him. Everyday! Ruining or building our relationship with God is in our hands. God does only half of it. The other half is how we would treat Him in return. Genuine Love? Well, God has it... and unless we get to know him and find him one day, we will never get to experience the genuine love this world can never offer.
Therefore my dear friends, I encourage you everyday... to put God before anything else. No matter how busy you are. No matter how many deadlines are due today. They are inferior to God. Make God happy first, and the rest will follow.
I wouldn't discount the miracles of God, that in the days I put Him before anything else, I just realized that instead of wasting time in my busy days, I actually had more time to do things that are not part of my schedule at all. In times I thought I won't have time to relax, by putting God before anything else, I realized that i finished most stuff earlier than expected. And I even have a couple of hours to relax and enjoy myself.
Love God above all else. He's our first priority. He's our first love. He is our God!
TODAY'S PRAYER
Heavenly Father we thank you for this day that you have given us. May we always remember to put you before everything that we do. may we not end our day without doing anything in your favor. Always stay by our side and walk with us all the days of our life. Keep us strong and fruitful... and put your spirit into our hearts, so that we may always remember your loving guidance, and worship you everyday!
All these we pray in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
AMEN!
Grace and Peace be With You.