He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. – (Colossians 1:18)
Frequently in Scripture we read about God and the offering where He asks for the “first fruits” of all that He has given to us. As just one example of many, we read in Proverbs, “Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce” (Proverbs 3:9). When Jesus reproved the church at Ephesus, He chided them for having left their “first love” (Revelation 2:4). Jesus wasn’t saying that they didn’t love Him at all. In fact, He applauded them for being upstanding people who have “perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary”(v. 3). But what He was saying is that they had left their “first love.” They no longer regarded Him as first in their hearts or in their lives.
In Colossians, we read of Christ’s preeminence over all things. God makes it clear here and repeatedly throughout Scripture that nothing less than first is where He belongs in our lives.
When the God that you acknowledge as God is not treated as God, then His kingdom and its benefits are not experienced by you. The follow-up portion of the verse we looked at in yesterday’s devotional (Matthew 6:33) states clearly that when you put God first, then “all these things” will be given to you. The corollary of that rings true as well–when you do not put God first, then you are missing out on all of the benefits and blessings of the King and His kingdom. That doesn’t mean that you won’t have problems or issues in life. What it does mean is that you will be well equipped to overcome or get through those problems and issues.
Reflection: Why is it so important that God be first in our lives? Read Colossians 1:12–20. Ask God to help you keep Christ first in all that you do this week.
You aren’t an add-on, God. You aren’t something or someone to get to when I have extra time. You deserve the first portions of my energy, thoughts, and emotions. I want You to be in that place in my life. Help me to always put You there.
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