Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Psalms 128:1-2 (NIV)
But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:25 (NIV)
This devotional is inspired by my lack of obedience! Yep, I said it. If you were expecting me to start off on a positive note, I’m sorry to disappoint. I didn’t kill anyone, steal, commit adultery, bear false witness, covet anything, disrespect my parents, or show a lack of love to anyone. Nope, I broke the first commandment. I didn’t prioritize God!
I had a task for work with a deadline I didn’t want to miss. Like we all do, I threw myself into focusing on the problem. What I should have done was focus on how I needed God to give me wisdom and revelation to resolve it. Instead, I relied on my own abilities.
Finally, on Wednesday morning, as I was preparing to send out the Bible Verse of the Day, I decided to take heed of what God was prompting me to do, which was to focus on Him. I got up and finished reading the book of Jeremiah, which I had been reading this month. I also got in a quick 30-minute bike ride since I am trying to get back in shape. Before starting work, as I always try to be diligent about, I prayed to God, asking for wisdom and that He would bless the work of my hands. I felt Him urge me to put on some worship music, so I created a playlist of a few songs that came to mind. If you would like to know what is on my playlist, feel free to comment below and I will share it.
Before I knew it, the solution started to make sense. I spent the day receiving everything I had asked for in terms of revelation on what to do. I also felt God’s presence calming me down and easing my frantic worrying about not finishing in time. And if you are wondering, yes, the problem got solved. Or at least I think it did. It is currently in peer review, so hopefully, I checked all the requirement boxes. I still have some cleanup work to do, but the two main issues have been addressed: my lack of obedience in spending time with God and fixing the code for work.
Just as the scripture says, we are blessed when we walk in obedience. God gives us a good reward for our labor, and our time spent with Him is never in vain. Sometimes, we need to clear our heads of the clutter and focus on God. I knew what I needed to do, but I made every excuse, telling myself that I didn’t have time and that I would read the Bible after I finished my task. This is a reminder that we all get wrapped up in what we have going on, but I encourage you to give it to God. Pray, worship, and still put in the work. Just make sure the priorities are in the correct order and God will provide. I forgot that myself, so I hope these scriptures and this devotional help someone else remember to put God first.
Let me know in the comments if you can relate.
Heavenly Father, teach me how to prioritize You! Help me to always put You first, knowing that all will go well. Forgive me for the times I failed to put my trust in You. Thank You for Your grace! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Travis - January 31, 2025 09:51 pm
I would love to hear your stories of obedience or in my case lack of, or any other comments you want to leave.
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