PRIORITY FOR THE NEW YEAR
If
you want to become a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, you must make
your relationship with God your highest priority. A growing love
relationship with God is central to everything else that happens in
the Christian life. That’s why we were created, that’s why Jesus
died on the cross for our sins and that’s why God is preparing an
eternal home for us in heaven.
When
Jesus was asked which is the most important commandment of all, He
replied, “You must love the LORD your
God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your
strength” (Mark 12:30, NLTSE).
Do
you have a personal relationship with God? If not, invite Him into
your life today through His Son, Jesus Christ. Ask Jesus to forgive
your sins and invite Him to live in you, to guide and direct you
daily.
If
you have begun your relationship with God, would you describe it as
“intimate”? Are you growing closer to Him with every passing day?
Is that your desire? Has that become your highest priority?
Meditate
on the following Bible passages and ask the Holy Spirit to increase
your love relationship with God.
Deuteronomy
6:5, NIV
“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
God's command to love with all we are has not changed. What blessings await the obedient soul.
Psalm
63:1-8, NLT
“O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better to me than life itself; how I praise you! I will honor you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest of foods. I will praise you with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. I think how much you have helped me; I sing for joy in the shadow of your protecting wings. I follow close behind you; your strong right hand holds me securely.”
“O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better to me than life itself; how I praise you! I will honor you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest of foods. I will praise you with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. I think how much you have helped me; I sing for joy in the shadow of your protecting wings. I follow close behind you; your strong right hand holds me securely.”
Notice
how God consumes the Psalmists' heart and mind. God is the number one
priority in his life. God satisfies more than the finest richest food. Try Him and see!
Psalm
42:1,2, NIV
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”
In
those days they met God in the Temple. Today we can meet God in our
place of prayer wherever we are as we commune with Him.
Psalm
143:6, NIV
“I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.”
“I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.”
Hands
lifted in thirst for God's presence will result in a fulness of God's presence. He will satisfy the thristy soul.
Psalm
130:6, NIV
“My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” Waiting on God, not trying to hurry through prayer will result in satisfacton of the soul.
“My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” Waiting on God, not trying to hurry through prayer will result in satisfacton of the soul.
Psalm
84:2, NIV
“My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”
“My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”
The
longing soul will surely be satisfied.
Psalm
73:25, NIV
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.”
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.”
As
you grow in maturity you will find that everything here on earth will
lose it's luster and all you work so hard for will belong to someone
else. You can take nothing with you when you leave this earth. If you
have spent no time with God, you will have nothing of any eternal
value. But time spent with God will result in a close relationship with God that will last through eternity.
Isaiah
26:8,9, NIV
“Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for You; Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. My soul yearns for You in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for You.”
“Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for You; Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. My soul yearns for You in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for You.”
These
are the words of someone who has lived a life full of wisdom,
knowledge, and understanding. They have lived their life in God's way, always waiting on Him for every decision in life. They understand what is really important in this life and the life to come.
Isaiah
55:6, NKJV
“Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.”
“Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.”
There
are some who put off seeking God until it is too late. God's Spirit
is tugging at your heart right now. There is a time when it will be hard to find God. Wise men came a long way seeking the Lord Jesus and to worship Him.
Jeremiah
29:13, NAS95
“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
This
is God's promise to you and me. You will find Him when you sincerely
seek Him with all your heart.
Psalm
27:8, NLT
“My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘LORD, I am coming.’”
“My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘LORD, I am coming.’”
Can
you hear the voice of God saying to you “Come and talk with Me?”
Then be obedient and receive all that God has for you. God waits for
you right now! God desires a very intimate relationship with you. Will you come and talk with Him in prayer, right now as soon as you finish reading this article.
In
these verses of scripture you see a picture of one who is truly
seeking a closer walk with the Father God. As we seek a closer
relationship with God, His blessings and favor will be poured out on
you. God seeks those who desire more of Him in their daily lives. He
wants to lead, guide, and direct us along life's journey. He made us
and He knows the way for us that opens the way for His blessings in
your life. God wants to bless all people, but He can only work in the
lives of those who desire Him to. We have free wills with which to
make decisions in life each day. Remember Jesus said in Matthew
5:6 (NKJV)
Blessed
are
those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
If
you begin to desire God as the above scriptures point out, you will
discover something that will bless your life and give you a greater
sense of the presence of God working in your life every day.
No
matter what life may bring, God's Presence and victory is yours
through Christ our Lord.
INVITATION: If you don't personally have a relationship with the Father God and you desire to have a relationship with Him, you must confess your sins to Jesus Christ, God's Son and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your life to take charge of you. If you are sincere Jesus will save you and you will become a child of God forever and God Himself will come and live inside of you by His Holy Spirit. Will you do it? You won't be sorry you did. You will have the most blessed "2013."
INVITATION: If you don't personally have a relationship with the Father God and you desire to have a relationship with Him, you must confess your sins to Jesus Christ, God's Son and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your life to take charge of you. If you are sincere Jesus will save you and you will become a child of God forever and God Himself will come and live inside of you by His Holy Spirit. Will you do it? You won't be sorry you did. You will have the most blessed "2013."
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