This past Sunday morning, I spoke on the importance of walking by faith, not by sight, especially in the midst of life’s storms and challenges.

It’s amazing how God’s Scripture always speaks to just when you need it, at just the right times and moments of life—that is, if you are reading it.

Reading God’s Word and meditating upon it is so important.  In fact, that is the formula for success God gave Joshua (Joshua 1:8).

Life is busy though and we live in a world in which distractions demand our time.  Setting aside time for devotion is so important and it’s important that we do it each day.  But even when you forget and don’t sit down in the time you normally would, still make time later to study God’s Word.

This week, I have been praying for clarity and focus, and as I studied God’s Word today it came to me.

David writes in Psalm 71:17-18:

“O God, You have taught me from my youth, And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.  And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come.”

As I prepare to speak again this Sunday morning, I have been praying for clarity and focus and decisiveness for approach, method, and emphasis.

And God gave me the insight I needed today as I read Psalm 71.  My job is to declare:

• God’s amazing, wondrous (wonderful) deeds
• God’s strength to this current generation
• and God’s power

Reading the recently released Bonhoeffer biography reminded me that when we read God’s Word, we are to always ask ourselves, “What is God’s Word saying to me right now?”

Sometimes we get too focused on the high concept stuff when the basics matter most.  People are searching for the truth and for answers.  Many people are desperate.  They are in need of God.  They are in need of miracles in their every day life.  So what do they need to hear about?  God’s wonderful deeds, His strength, and His power.

Amen!

I received this e-mail via the web site, so I thought I would share my response as it may be helpful to others.

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What do you mean when you say that if we take care of God’s business, He will take care of our business?

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Again and again throughout Scripture, we see the principle that God rewards faithfulness, commitment, obedience, and our putting Him first.  On January 8^th, pastor spoke on Matthew 6, especially Matthew 6:33.  Jesus taught that when we put God and His Kingdom first that we would not need to worry about the things of life.  And Jesus was specific in the passage—He talked about clothes, food etc.  What’s interesting is that He dealt with how the world—or pagans/unbelievers—chase after things.  God’s people are not to live like that, though.  We are to put God first and we are to put God first in every area of life, and when we do that, God will make sure our needs (including the every day concerns of life – food, clothes etc.) are met.   So it’s a matter of prioritization.  We are to put God and His Kingdom first.

Another similar principle in Scripture is the emphasis on seedtime and harvest and sowing and reaping.  To reap in any area of our lives we must first sow.  This is true in every area of life.  If I want people to demonstrate kindness to me, I must first be kind.  Many people want to reap all sorts of things, but they never make the commitment to sow.  Commitment comes first.  Obedience comes first.  Right prioritization comes first.  Putting God first comes first.  Making God, His Kingdom, and what He is concerned about our highest priority comes first.

Many times we get the order of things wrong.  We chase things or get focused on everything else but God and then put God last.  As believers, that’s not how we’re supposed to live.  We’re supposed to put God first and we’re supposed to put His kingdom first.  When we do that, God takes care of us.

Having been in church all my life I’ve seen firsthand the results of two different approaches—on the one hand, I’ve seen people who are 100% committed to God who put God first, who implement what the Bible teaches in their lives, who are passionate about God, who witness to others, who help out, who give, who attend church regularly; and on the other hand, I’ve seen people who are casual in their commitment—they come to church occasionally but never get serious, they never fully commit, they never help out, they don’t develop an active prayer life, they never really begin to implement what the Bible teachers (whether it regards morals, lifestyle, finances etc.), they live in a perpetual state of being lukewarm, they never commitment to living for God in obedience.  And the results between those two different levels of commitment are amazing.

God’s Kingdom on earth is the Body of Christ, the Church.  And we are a part of that by being a part of the local church.  God’s concern is people—that they be saved and discipled.  That is what the church is all about.  People are a part of that by their help, their faithfulness, and their giving which goes to support that endeavor.

When a person makes putting God and His Kingdom first—in every area of life—their highest priority, the “things” of life begin to take care of themselves.

As I prepared for this Sunday and studied the life of Elisha, one passage stood out to me that applies to your question and this topic—2 Kings 4.  The Shunammite woman honored God, His Kingdom, and the man of God in her life.  She fed and provided a place for Elisha to stay, and then later, she and her husband even added onto their home to give the man of God a permanent place to stay whenever he was in the area.  It was then, after that, that God moved in that woman’s life—she had not yet had any children.  Elisha spoke a prophetic word and said she would conceive and give birth to a son and she did.  She first put God first, she first took care of God’s business.  And then, God took care of her.

When you put God first, God will take care of you.  When you take care of God’s business, He will take care of your business.

In the 9 am service Sunday morning @OvercomingFaith, I shared on why the church as a community is so important before my 9 am message.

Reading Bonhoeffer’s writings on the church has influenced my thinking on this.  Part of the church being church is the community of believers and the church is literally the Body of Christ.  This is why coming to church is so important, why being involved in a church is so important, and why getting to know people in a church is so important.  We’re family and we can encourage, love, and support each other as family.

I am often very careful about sharing my personal thoughts.  But I did feel led to share my personal thoughts on this subject.

The nice thing about @OvercomingFaith is that while it’s a large church with a really nice campus, the church is still a size where we can know everyone on a personal level.  When people are in the hospital or need to be married or buried, they can take comfort in the fact that pastor, my mother, myself, or Aaron will perform those duties.  However, recently, when a lady told me she was leaving the church because of an offense and leaving for a much larger church (where, truth be told, she’ll just be a number), I thought, “Well, who will visit you when you are in need, maybe in the hospital, who will marry your children someday, and when the time comes, who will bury you?”  I thought that but of course I didn’t say it. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, our goal is to change the community we’re in, to continually grow, and reach new people.  And I’m all for the churches that are super big.  But I think sometimes when people pick a celebrity pastor that they don’t think through the fact that when they’re in the hospital or when it comes time for them to be buried, that some person they’ve never heard of and don’t even know will be doing the service.

A few years ago, a lady who has been in the church many years told me, “Austin, I know someday you will bury me.”  At first, I was shocked and taken back, but later, I realized her comment was an incredible compliment.  She and her husband are a part of the core of the church and have been in the church many years, but they are also about 10-15 years younger than my father.  So I know, she figures she will outlive my father, and so she rightfully expects me to bury her some day.  What a compliment! 

Her statement, though, reflects her knowledge that the church is a family, a family who knows each other, and a family who is there for each other in the good times and the bad, in the times of rejoicing and mourning.  And from her statement it’s obvious she takes comfort in the fact that she knows what the spiritual legacy of her church is and who will minister to her children and grandchildren that day.

What’s really different about that lady though is she thinks about the future and her children and grandchildren.  Sadly, many people don’t think that way.  They don’t think about the future and their biggest concern is with what they are doing and not their children or grandchildren or the spiritual discipleship of the children and grandchildren.

Only a baby/infant in Christ would throw a tantrum because he/she can’t do a certain thing in particular in a church (regardless of whether or not they are even talented and gifted to do that in the first place), and then uproot his/her entire family with no thought to the future.

Just my thoughts…