I’ve been on the edge of some type of revelation for a while now. It has been fleeting, like reaching for a steam cloud and having it disappear when you close your hand around it.
The Spirit of God has been speaking to my spirit, but I haven’t been able to comprehend or hear clearly what He has been saying or trying to teach me. Yesterday during staff, the heavens opened with a bang and I had the epiphany.
The discussion was on the proper priorities that pastors should have. The widely accepted and taught priority list is this-
1. God
2. family (spouse then children)
3. church
4. everything else
Most of us pastors get into trouble assuming #3 directly relates to #1, and in some ways it does. However, it suddenly occurred to me that I’ve had it all wrong. There is no list. I have spent the last day meditating on this, and I believe our priorities should look like this-
All of the problems in life can be traced back to this diagram. Preachers are great for telling people how to live, but often times in an effort to help people live a life pleasing to God, we reduce our relationship with Him to a set of rules and/ethical norms that have to be followed.
Those are important, but we should instead focus on teaching people to have a proper relationship with God. The law is a schoolmaster to point out our sin, but often times we (and I definitely count myself in this) come short and only point out the disease without offering the cure.
The verse from Deuteronomy that I used at the top of this devotional is called the Shema (meaning “Hear O’ Israel) among the Jews. It is their simple declaration of faith. Looking at the Hebrew in these verses, another way to translate it would be “Listen Israel, Yahweh our God is everything/altogether/our complete focus/our number 1 on a list of 1”.
Our relationship with God is not to be number 1 on a list of other things. There is no list with God. Anything else on a list with God is an idol.
All of our problems with sin, all of our problems with temptation, and all of our problems with relationships can all be traced back to this truth. If everything in our lives emanates from God, everything else in life takes care of itself.
Get alone with God and ask Him what is lacking in your relationship with Him. Let Him show you His wondrous riches and the incredible depths that He wants to take you in intimacy with Him.
It’s all about HIM! Let us covenant together to make Him our everything.
Many blessings,
The verse from Deuteronomy that I used at the top of this devotional is called the Shema (meaning “Hear O’ Israel) among the Jews. It is their simple declaration of faith. Looking at the Hebrew in these verses, another way to translate it would be “Listen Israel, Yahweh our God is everything/altogether/our complete focus/our number 1 on a list of 1”.
Our relationship with God is not to be number 1 on a list of other things. There is no list with God. Anything else on a list with God is an idol.
All of our problems with sin, all of our problems with temptation, and all of our problems with relationships can all be traced back to this truth. If everything in our lives emanates from God, everything else in life takes care of itself.
Get alone with God and ask Him what is lacking in your relationship with Him. Let Him show you His wondrous riches and the incredible depths that He wants to take you in intimacy with Him.
It’s all about HIM! Let us covenant together to make Him our everything.
Many blessings,
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