Monday May 20
We all have priorities. Those things that are most important to us, our primary concerns. For some it may be family, career, or money. But as for Moses, his priority was to please God. The adopted son of an Egyptian princess, he had it all; fame, fortune, and power. But Moses refused to indulge in the trappings of his status instead, “choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God then to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.” (vs. 25-26)
I look at all Moses willingly and obediently let go of to follow God, and I can’t help but look at myself. On my list of priorities, where is God? Is He first? Is He at least in the top ten? If I’m honest, there are days when He doesn’t even make the cut. In Deuteronomy 6:5 Moses gives us the command, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” I want to love God that way. And that means making it a priority to not just fit Him in, but making Him first and foremost in my life. How do I do that? By being purposeful and intentional in nurturing my relationship with the Lord.
If I’m not intentional, as soon as my eyes pop open my thoughts run away to all I have to do. I get stressed about not being able to fit 36 hours of work into 24, and so I hop out of bed anxious to get the day started. By the time evening rolls around I’m tired, ready to sleep, and have let the day slip away without a second thought to God. But when I purposefully start and end each day in prayer, set time aside, (even if only for a few minutes), to be alone with Him, and spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word, my relationship with the Lord is nurtured, and my feet, thoughts, and heart stay focused and planted on the path He has laid before me.
Ezra Taft Benson said, “When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities.” Moses had it right. He made his obedience to God his first priority. He knew no earthly riches, nor anything this world offers could compare to the reward waiting for those who put their faith in the Lord. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34) God has blessed, and continues to bless me in many ways. And although I count among my treasures my family and friends, my greatest treasure of all is my relationship with the Lord. Never has He failed to make me a priority, and in thankfulness I will make it my priority to love and please Him. Will you?
