In the Beginning - Daily Devotional January 1st, 2010

Bible Reading Plan - Genesis 1, Matthew 1, Ezra 1, Acts 1

In the Beginning

I love the first 4 words of the whole Bible, "In the beginning God...". I love them because as I sit here at the beginning of a new year, new decade and new opportunities, these words give me the key to success. That key is that at the beginning of every thing I do, I need God.

This morning I got up and there were so many things filling my mind. Things I needed to get done, things I wanted to get done and frivolous things that have no bearing on my life whatsoever (like checking facebook). As all of these things filled my head I quickly remembered it is the 1st day of 2010. Then a phrase from some smart person that I do not know came to me, "the way you start a race is the way you finish the race" (or something like that - I'm not sure if they were actually smart either... anyway). I picked up my Bible and read those first four words, "in the beginning God".

I have determined that for 2010 that God will be at the beginning of everything I do. I will seek Him first before I seek the counsel of others. I will start everyday with spending time with Him, I will not allow myself to start my work day without having a conversation with Him about my day. I will not lead the church in a direction without having heard from Him first. I will not make large purchases with out consulting Him. We will spend the first part of family time with Him. Putting God first in our lives is the key to success!

When we put God first in our lives and first in every situation it means that we are taking time to listen to Him. It is when we listen to Him that light comes into our situations. Genesis 1:3 says, "And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light". When we do not know how to handle a situation, if God is first in our life He sheds light on those situations. It says in Psalm 3:5-6, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths". Acknowledging God means we are putting Him first.

As you enter 2010 make it a priority to have God at the beginning of everything. The Beginning of your day, marriage, job, relationships, financial decisions, etc. As you put God at the beginning He will bring light to your life and your situations.

Tomorrows Bible Reading - Genesis 2, Matthew 2, Ezra 2, Acts 2

Dream Big
Ben