5-9-2019

 Good Morning All,

             Psalm 86:11; “Teach me your way, O Lord, so that I may live in your truth.  Focus my heart on fearing you."

    I hear it often.  It comes from parents of young children, people who are engaged in their job or community, retired folks who like to fish and golf; I hear it often.  I am not sure if it is an expression of guilt, an appeasement of a member of the clergy, or an honest statement but I hear it often.  It has many variations but basically it is said with some sense of resignation and almost defeat.  “I need to put more God into my life.”  I hear it and often times I just smile and acknowledge the statement.  It usually is made at a time when it is impractical at best to address the comment.  Yet it is a comment we need to address for the simple truth is we do not need “more God in our life” rather we need to have “our life more into God.”

    I know what many mean but when we say it like this “I need to put more God into my life” we are really continuing down a sinful path.  We are saying that we are more important than God and that we, somehow through our own crafty planning, will open up a little of our precious time so God can sneak in and fill a need which we have.  We might try for a while but soon we will be back in the rut of thinking “I don’t have time for God; I am too busy.”  We may need to view this the way a dietician once told me about losing weight.  Like many, I battle the scale all the time and lose the vast majority of the time.  This dietician told me that going on diets never work.  They fail because we set a weight goal and a timeframe and when we reach our goal; we go back to the ways that got us in trouble in the first place!  The true way to lose weight is to change from the poor eating habits and replace them with healthy ones.  It is the same in our faith life, we need to change our habits and views of fitting God into our life and instead focus on how we fit into God’s story, plan, narrative or whatever way you refer to it.  How do I fit into God and His plan of salvation here, on earth today, and into eternity?

    First and foremost, we must see that God comes first.  That is what the First Commandment is all about.  Secondly, we need to teach them to our children, live them out in our life.  This is why our devotional time is so critical for our spiritual well-being.  It helps us to orientate ourselves to what is true in our life.  The devil and the world will scream loud and long with lies that tell you something else is true.  This is how God wants us to hear His voice by reading His Word and speaking to Him in prayer.  We all have the same amount of time.  We all have 168 hours in a week and we can accomplish what we prioritize at the top of the list.  For Christians, it should be worshipping God by hearing His Word and calling upon His Name, regularly and often.  This will help us see how we are God’s creatures, beloved and redeemed by Him, that we may live in His kingdom.

Father, forgive my failure to put You first.  Cleanse me so that I may return to your tent and give me the spirit to listen to your holy Word and to seek your comfort and truth.  Defend me this day from all sin.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret