He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap. As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper” —
Ecclesiastes 11:4-6
The Scriptures contain many examples of men and women who had misplaced priorities. Often, they are otherwise godly people who had a momentary lapse in judgment. This should serve as a warning for every believer to consider the importance of holding onto wrong thoughts and desires.Ecclesiastes 11:4-6
For good purposes or bad, we set priorities in one of three ways:
· by evaluating which things ought to carry the most importance;
· by giving in to pressure and letting people or circumstances dictate how we should prioritise; or
· by drifting into habits and modes of thinking that become a way of life.
Drifting should be avoided by wise believers because it can lead to a life that feels meaningless. Priorities should be in place before we face challenging circumstances and people. That way, we can be firm in our commitment. The only practical choice, then, is to prioritise on purpose. We do that by setting a goal to live according to God’s purpose and plan. The priorities we choose are determined by what we value.
But sometimes, “putting first things first” can be frustrating since there are so many things to distract us. If having a right relationship with God is our highest priority, then those actions and thoughts that strengthen our connection with Him will be the most important. We need to be disciplined in following our goals because living purposefully is seldom easy. The good news is that God knows our heart, and He will honour our sincere attempts to put Him first.
Prayer:
Lord, give me wisdom to know the most important things in life, and help me make them my top priorities.Scriptural Reading:
Ecclesiastes 11:1-10
#YearOfWisdom
#GW2019
