" WHAT COMES FIRST? "

Good day to you, is all well in your camp? This week we will be looking into " What Comes First." it's vital that we always put God First. You may ask yourself how do I put God First in my life. In Deuteronomy 5:7 " You shall have no other gods before me." In other words, a god is whatever people put first in their lives. Some people literally worship other gods by joining cults or strange religions. In a more subtle way, many of us worship other gods by building our lives around something other than the one true God. If your greatest desire is for popularity, power, or money, you are devoting yourself to something other than God. Now to put God first, (1) Recognize what is taking his place in your life; (2) Renounce this substitute god as unworthy of your devotion; (3) Ask God for forgiveness; (4) Restructure your priorities so that love for God is the motive for everything you do; (5) Examine yourself daily to be sure that Father God is (excuse my slang) numero uno and you are giving God First Place. God should be the first place we turn when we are facing struggles or dilemmas. Trying to control our own lives without God's help leads to struggle and confusion. By contrast, when we stay in daily contact with the Lord we are less likely to create painful circumstances for ourselves. For this reason alone I wake up early (4 am) and I armor up, I pick up my Bible and then I pray for those in my sphere of influence. This is a lesson that we must fully learn. When struggles come our way, God wants us to come to him first, seeking his strength and guidance. Now, I can't say this enough. Guess what I'm going to say next? LAST POINT: Don't hit rock bottom before turning back to God. How much suffering we could have avoided if we just had trusted him! Turning to God shouldn't be the last resort; we should look to him for help each day. This isn't to say life will always be easy. There will be struggles, but God will give us the strength to live through them. Don't wait until you're at the end of your rope. Call on God first in every situation. Until Next Time... Jim,