By Lamont H. Fuchs, Ed.D.
(except from “Preacher Spurs”, Christian Faith Publishing, Meadville, Pa., 2022)
Think of all those pursuits we have in life. Every one of us has them. We all wanted to do something, accomplish something, finish something, acquire something, or pursue a goal from the time we were small. WE WANT! We have structured our whole lives around the quest for something. Maybe it is to be happy. Perhaps it is to leave a legacy or accomplish a feat no one has ever done before. Maybe we want to pay off the car early. We can all name at least one, and we can name a few more if we think a bit. Do not get me wrong; these are not all bad; we place them in our priorities when things get messed up.
In Philippians 3:14, Paul writes, “I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Sometimes we must give up one pursuit because of priorities to press toward another quest. Those can be dilemmas that require thought and planning, and if we have wisdom, we pray about them. “
Personal story – you have one, I am sure. I bought my first brand-new off-the-showroom-floor automobile. My wife and I had only been married for a few years with no kids, and we wanted to have fun while we were young and not tied down too much. We purchased a convertible sports car, and it was a beauty. We had more than one car already because we both worked, but we wanted this brand-new sports car, and we could afford it – if we bought it on time. So, we got it, and we were doing great for a few years until we decided on another goal – kids and a family. Kids and sports cars with no back seats do not work too well. A decision was required, and the priority was family, not the sports cars. We could not afford another vehicle, and we were sure if we were going to have a family, we needed something that could haul us all and the stuff you must carry with being parents of a small child or two. So, we had to sell the sports car, and it broke our hearts. After we had the kids, though, we forgot all about the sports car. This story is a typical dilemma, and many people will identify with the circumstances.
Check out the priorities Moses set for his life. In Exodus 33, God is talking to Moses in verses 1-4, and He says concisely, I am keeping my promise to My people and their fathers before them. I want you to go into the promised land and take it. I will send an angel before you, and you will not have any problems with the people that live there. The land is yours as promised, but I am not going with you. In fact, in the following few verses, God says, if I went with you, I might just kill you all because you people make Me angry for all your sinfulness.
Moses and the people were sad about this announcement. Here they were about to go into the promised land. It had been their goal for 40 years, and when they were about to have it all, God said, go on, take it, but I am not going with you.
Moses cannot bear to hear it. To paraphrase verses 15-16, Moses says to God, if You do not go with us, do not take us there, because if You are not with us, how will Your people or I know we have Your grace and favor?
Moses got his priorities straight. Do you think that was a hard choice? He told God he would rather have Him and His grace than all the good life of milk and honey over the Jordan in the promised land. God was impressed by that choice. Paraphrasing verse 17, the Lord says to Moses, I will do what you ask because you have my grace, and I know you by name.
Wow, that is what I want. I want to have God give me His Grace and tell me He knows my name. Priorities. Answer this question. What is most important, this life in a land we are just passing through, or eternity with God? Tough choice. The same question is in front of each of us. Is it the world we want, or is it the grace of Jesus and life eternal? Again, tough choice.
Not so hard when you think about it, and you can make that choice today. You can draw near to God just like Moses did. It was easy to change God’s mind to give Moses grace. All he had to do was choose the most significant thing in this life and the next, God. And God even gave us a straightforward way to do that. ASK! Call upon the One who is the way, the truth, and the life, Jesus. It says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
James 4:8 says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.”
Today is the day for you to decide what your priorities are. What is your goal in life? What is your destination for eternal life?
