Day 22 – The Most Important Thing

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”~Matthew 13:45-46

One of my favorite gospel songs is “More Than Anything” by Lamar Campbell.  A part of the song says “I love you Jesus.  I worship and adore you. Just want to tell you. Lord, I love you more than anything.”  I knew my relationship with God was growing when I wanted Him more than anything or anyone.  In my heart I had, finally, connected deeply with the one pearl of great price, Jesus.  Instead of my hands reaching for God, asking Him for something, my heart was reaching out for Him and only Him.  It wasn’t about what He could do for me or what He could give me.  Everything in my life began to fall into place when I placed God in His rightful place in my life.  He stands above my husband, my children, my mother, my father, my sisters, my brothers.  He is God over all I know.

Experiencing heaven on earth only comes after we have obeyed Jesus’ command, and we learn to love God with everything we’ve got.  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” ~Mark 12:30. When we love God so completely,  making Him God over all we know, He begins to bless us in this place of spiritual maturity. 1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man. The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”  When God is the apple of our eyes, and we’re serving Him, He takes pleasure in blessing us with the things that make us happy.  “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalms 37:4

In each one of those scriptures, notice that loving God is first and foremost if we are to partake of the treasures of heaven. And even when He blesses us beyond our wildest dreams, none of it will be more important than Him.  No amount of worldly treasures can come close to the treasure we have in Christ.  God is our heart.  He is our treasure.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21) On the first day of this devotional, I chose Matthew 6:33 because it is the foundation, not only of this devotional, but of our lives. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” No matter how spiritually or materially blessed we become, we must never lose sight that God is priority. We never stop seeking Him, pursuing Him all the days of our lives with a heart to serve Him and others.  Our relationship with God is the most important thing.   He is the air we breathe.  He is our everything.  “For in him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

Prayer:  Father, you are so amazing, wonderful and magnificent.  You are the air I breathe.  The wind in my sails. The joy of my life.  Nothing in this world is more important to me than you are.  My heart is yours for eternity.  May my life bring you great glory and lead others to you so they too can experience your exquisite, perfect and everlasting love.  I love you so much.  Thank you for first loving me.  In Jesus’ beautiful name I pray.  Amen.