January 7
Gen 16:1-18:15 | PS 7:1-17 | Prov 2:1-5 | Matt 6:1-24
As a physician interacting with 25-35 patients per day, I sadly hear of it so frequently, struggling and fractured relationships. What begins so fresh and bold, becomes stale, and eventually is hard to recognize from what was first. Life, preoccupation with children, distractions, general busyness, all pull one away from spouses. Intimacy stops. Conversations become brief. Eventually children move out and these two people who once were so much in love no longer recognize one another. One must realize the importance of the marital relationship and prioritize it, find time for it, and allow it to continue to grow. What has been lost can be rekindled if time is set aside and excuses are stopped. The same holds true with our relationship with God. This is a personal relationship, just like our marital relationship is. The world, even good things in this world such as our earthly relationships will seek to distract and pull us away from God. Just like in marital relationships, quiet time with our Lord is not optional, it is essential. Though He never takes His eyes off of us, all too frequently we take our eyes off of Him. Personally, I get up early, around 4:30am on most days, and my first couple of hours are alone time with God: in His Word, in thought, in prayer. This is foundational for my relationship, and keeps me in Him throughout the day, though many things try to pull me away. When is your time with Him? Do you give Him your leftovers or your best time?
What we see in the Sermon on the Mount is the close relationship between God and each individual. This relationship is of most importance, and if healthy will allow us to flow into other relationships in a healthy manner. When we give, it is not for others to see, it is because of our relationship with God, as we read in Matthew 6:3-4, "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly." The same holds true for prayer, as we read in 6:6-7, "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words." The same holds true for fasting, as we read in 6:17-18, " But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." Jesus continues to further His message on holding fast to this relationship as everything flows from it, as we read 6:33-34, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
So, we begin each day and continue through each day. How this looks depends on our foundation, as we read in Matthew 7:24-27, "“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”" Pause for a moment and consider all of those things, those distractions that pull us away from that which is better, that which is best. Most importantly is our relationship with God, but also those important relationships with others, if things are not where they should be, take action today. Prioritize appropriately. We all need God, and others need us in a healthy relationship with God.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: