He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30 HCSB
My dear friend and walking partner and I typically meet before the sunrise. We get the pleasure of seeing God’s beauty as the sun begins to rise. The sky fills with beautiful colors of pink, orange, and blue. There have been a few times in the last few weeks that it has been so beautiful my friend has stopped to take a picture.
The rising of the sun brings hope for a new day. It brings a new beginning. It brings a fresh start. The same can happen when we exalt God’s son, Jesus Christ in our lives. Our verse for today is short but makes a powerful point. If you really want to see a powerful change in your life, let Jesus, the Son rise to the top. Let Him be first in your life, others second and put yourself last. You’ll be amazed at the difference this will make in your life.
Many of us are taught to look out for number one. People will tell us things like, “If you don’t take care of yourself, no one else will.” But this isn’t true. God will take good care of us if we simply put Him first. We are told in Matthew 6:33 to seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be provided for you. Romans 8:28 tells us all things work for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.
When we put our faith in God and trust in Him, it’s easy to humbly submit to His plan for our life. It’s easy to surrender and trust that He will take good care of us. It doesn’t mean we won’t go through hard times. Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
In Christ we can be assured that we will be victorious no matter what we face. Paul said in Romans 8:37, “No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us.”
We are all going to face hard times in our lives here on earth. We have a choice of having God walk through these times with us or we can choose to try to go it alone.
Be careful though because many people think they are walking with Christ because they attend church every now and then and throw a little money in the plate. They put themselves first and hope God will just go along with their plan. This is a dangerous way to live, just sayin’.
When we put God first in our lives, we can trust that He’s got us. We are told in Psalm 91:1-2 that if we choose to live in the shelter God provides, we will reside in His shadow. My friend, when the enemy comes calling, and the enemy will come calling this is the safest place we can be.
I used to step under God’s protective embrace when the going got tough and then go my own way when the storm had passed. I’ve come to realize, however, that there is always another storm coming and it’s best to remain in His shelter.
When we try to put ourselves on top, we can’t be sheltered by God. We have to give him top billing. We have to put Him first. Maybe it’s time you let the Son rise in your life. Maybe it’s time you put Him first and yourself last.
Trust me, you’ll be amazed at what this can do. But don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself.
Have a great day!