I wonder if you can relate to me when I say, “I am amazed at how quickly I can forget what is truly the most important thing”?
The occasion for this most recent revelation was my 4:30am appointment with the most important Being in the universe. Contemplating the events of the previous day and the tasks that lay before me on this “never-before-seen-by-human-eyes” 24-hour canvas, I was very much aware of my need for strength and direction. I asked the Lord to show me what I needed to know as I prepared to embark on the journey of “today”.
James says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him”. (James 1:5) Today, I was about to realize, again, the truth of those words. In reading through the Bible, today I found myself in Numbers 28. The Lord told Moses to tell His people to be careful to offer the offerings of the Lord at their appointed times. (Numbers 28:1-2) In other words, “make this a priority…..this is important”. At this point, the Lord had my attention.
Verses 3-8 go on to describe the daily offerings to be offered to the Lord. What jumped-out at me was the daily part of this passage. And it wasn’t just once, but twice; morning and evening. Every day begins with the Lord and every day ends with the Lord. At the beginning of my day, the most important thing is to seek the Lord and at the end of my day, the most important thing is to seek the Lord. So, what should be the main thing of my every day? Seeking the Lord.
So many times throughout my day I can easily get distracted from the main thing? A project with a deadline looming can make me irritable and anxious and that can damage relationships. The passionate pursuit of something can cause me to ignore or run rough-shod over the people nearest and dearest to me. Financial uncertainty can cause me to act out of desperation and make foolish decisions.
At the end of the day, can I say that I have set my heart on seeking the Lord from morning to evening? At every point in my day have I sanctified the Lord as the Lord of my life? If I have, it should at the very least reflect what Jesus said was the fulfillment of the greatest commandment; “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength…..and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mk 12:30-31)
Someone has once said, “What’s most important when I stand before my Savior, should be the most important thing to me today”. In other words, “Keep the main thing the main thing”.