SET YOUR PRIORITIES RIGHT

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“One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.” Psa. 27:4 NKJV

 

At the end of the Jews’ seventy years of exile in Babylon, God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, the King of Persia, to grant them the liberty to return to their homeland and to rebuild their cities and God’s temple in Jerusalem.

The first company of the Jews who left Babylon under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua, the high priest, was faced with the challenge of what to put first or attend to first because there was much work to be done in the fallen Jerusalem.

The temple had been broken down to its foundation, the wall of Jerusalem had also been broken down, its gates burned down with fire, and their cities and houses were in ruins.

Even though many pressing works or things were calling for immediate attention, the people chose to put first things first. They set their priorities right!

What did they put first?

The building of the altar of God!

Ezra 3:1-3 – NKJV

 1 And when the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem.

 2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.

 3 Though fear had come upon them because of the people of those countries, they set the altar on its bases; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, both the morning and evening burnt offerings.

By building the altar of God, the people were seeking God first, consecrating themselves to God first, and seeking fellowship or communion with God before setting out to attend to their works.

What wise people!

What a wise choice!

In today’s busy world, there is always a variety of work to be done and needs to be attended to every day. All are competing for your immediate attention. You must be wise, determined, and disciplined to always put the first thing first, just like those wise Jews.

As a New Covenant believer, raising an altar to God is no longer an act of gathering and setting up stones at a designated place and burning animals on them as burnt offerings to God.

The offering of the body of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins marked the end of all sacrifices and offerings according to the Law. Therefore, God no longer desires or demands burnt offerings or sacrifices from worshippers (Heb. 10:1-7).

For the New Covenant believers, building or raising an altar to God implies setting aside a definite time daily or regularly for uninterrupted and deep communion or fellowship with God in His Word and prayer. It connotes consistently waiting upon God and offering yourself as a living sacrifice to God (Rom. 12:1-2).

In today’s busy and noisy world, it is wise, necessary, and beneficial for you to cultivate the habit of setting aside or scheduling a definite time daily to read, study, and meditate in God’s Word and to commune with God in prayer without any distraction prayerfully, patiently, and diligently. This requires discipline, determination, and dedication.

When the Jews who returned to Jerusalem from Babylon put God first by first rebuilding His altar and consecrating themselves to God by offering burnt offerings daily on the altar, no force could stop them from accomplishing all other tasks and projects.

Although their adversaries devised and employed diverse strategies to manipulate, frighten, discourage, weaken, and prevent them, they failed woefully.

Moreover, God blessed and favored them on all sides to the extent that they had much more than enough resources to rebuild the temple, the wall of Jerusalem, and their cities and houses.

Beloved, if you would esteem and set above everything else, spending quality time in God’s Word and prayer daily as your highest priority and pursuit this New Year, like those wise Jews, your strength will be renewed daily. No force will be able to stop you from enjoying your blessings in Christ and fulfilling God’s purposes.

King David never lost any battle in life because he esteemed and set seeking God and spending quality time daily in God’s presence as his highest priority and pursuit.

David declares, “One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.” (Psa. 27:4 NKJV).

This New Year, be wise, like those Jews and David, to set your priorities right!

 Prayer:

I will seek the Lord above anyone or anything else this New Year. I will spend quality time daily in God’s Word and prayer. Help me, Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our: mandate is to preserve the faith of the Apostolic Generation.

Pastor Eniyekpemi Fidelis Oyinpreyebi.

AWH, Blogs.

Empower by El- Bethel Christian Network 

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