Daily Devotional for Friday September 7, 2018

Who or what do you love more than God?

(1 John 2:15; Titus 2:12; Galatians 4:3; Colossians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 5:15-17)

***DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER: Dear Lord, please help me today to be an active member of your body. I pray each day that I will be yielded to you and your will for my life. Let me remove all that is in my life keeping me from being the best servant I can possibly for you and your Kingdom. I love you Lord, and let my love be expressed in my daily life as I serve you. In the name of Jesus I pray…AMEN!!!

After writing the Daily Devotional every day for just over 228 months now, I already know when I am going to catch lots of grief from what I write. This is going to be one of those days so I am prepared for it. Let me start today by asking you a fair question. Is there something in this world that you love more than God?

I have no doubt some people will pause as they think of the love they have for their spouse, for their parents, for their children. As much as we may love those special people God blesses us with during our brief journey through life, our love for God MUST always be first. This is a truth most people are able to understand and accept.

More to the point however, is there some THING in this world that you love more than God? We say we love God, we say God is first in our life, but is He really? Let me be a bit more specific. Is God first in your life, ahead of your career? Is God first in your life, ahead of your hobbies and special interests? Be careful now, we know what the RIGHT answers to these questions are, but are they the TRUE answers?

Even though I know you don't want to, let's go a bit deeper. Does your work or career take priority over God in your normal day to day life? Do you invest as much time each week into God as you do your hobbies and special interests? One of the profound statements Jesus made was, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Since that is a great measuring stick of where our heart is, how much of your treasure goes to God as opposed to the pleasures of this world?

Listen, PLEASE do not misunderstand what my message to you today is. I am NOT saying that your career is not important. After all, it was God who gave you the gifts and talents you have to be successful in your career, it was God who opened the doors for you to be where you are at, and it is God who gives you favor and blessings each day in your career. I am also NOT saying that your hobbies and special interests are not important. Again, it was God who gave you the desires and passions for the things you enjoy in this life. Nor am I saying you should not use some of the resources God has entrusted to you to enjoy the abundance of this life.

What I AM saying is that we have to take inventory of our life from time to time and ensure that we are keeping God first at all times, in all things. We can fall into patterns at times and slowly ease God out of our day to day life. Not consciously, but often without even realizing it put other things in our life ahead of God. This is a subtle trap of the enemy since once God is no longer first in your life, you are wide open to be attacked. This becomes an open door for satan to enter your life and harm you.

I love you and care about you so much. It is out of that love that I am sending you this warning today. Simply take a moment and ask yourself the tough questions in regard to where God fits in your life. Is He first in ALL areas of your life? Don't play games with yourself, since this is for YOUR benefit, not Gods. This is to protect YOU from giving the enemy any room to operate in your life.

I will be praying for you today. Praying that you will never forget that God MUST be first in your life at all times, in all things. We can never allow any person, our career, our hobbies or interests to become more important than God. He has got to be our first priority and our first love at all times. God gives us special people to share this life with, He gives us gifts and talents to use in our careers, and it is God who gives us passions and desires for the things we enjoy in this life. We must never fall into the trap of loving the things of this world more than we love God.

In His love and service,

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller