Devotion: First Things First

Text: Joshua 1:7-9

One of my favorite Christmas cartoons is “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town.” It’s pretty old school, but still really great stuff! In this classic, the Winter Warlock has seen the error of his ways and Santa is teaching him through song to just get started. He sings, “Put one foot in front of the other and soon you’ll be walkin’ ‘cross the floor. Put one foot in front of the other and soon you’ll be walkin’ out the door.” First things first. Don’t worry about what others can do. Don’t think about what else you could be doing. The important thing is to walk. And we’ll do that one step at a time, until it comes naturally.

Sometimes ministry is just like that. When Joshua was getting ready to go into the Promised Land, God had some clear instructions for him. He says in Joshua 1:7-9, “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Step 1: Obey the Word. Step 2: Don’t deviate from the Word. Step 3: Do what the Word says. Step 4: Meditate on the Word all the time.

Those were good words for Joshua as he prepared to lead God’s people, and they are good words for us as we have the privilege of leading God’s people as well. It is so easy to get distracted by our long list of things to do. It’s easy to get sidetracked by our own agenda. It’s easy to forget to keep first things first. We worry about what others around us can do better than we can. Our minds fill with all the things we could be doing to be more productive. But God says that what is most important is spending time with Him—through His Word, in conversation, among relationships that strengthen our faith. As we do that one step at a time, we learn to walk daily with Jesus. We come to know Him better and to trust Him more and more.

God is so faithful! He calls us to rest in the love He has for us. He invites us to discover Him in the pages and pages of Scripture. And He longs for us to sit at His feet. He will take care of the details.

Reflect:
What causes you to lose sight of the priority of time with the Lord?
What one step can you take today in order to sit at the feet of Jesus?

Prayer:
Father, You are so good to us and you call us to sit at Your feet, to crawl onto Your lap and drink in the goodness of Your grace. Give us strength to push aside the distractions and to focus on Your presence in our lives. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.