HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 273
page A271
There is no greater priority than to love and obey God and to accept Jesus’ gift of salvation. Nothing affects your eternal future so significantly, and nothing will alter your immediate future so significantly.
• 1 K I NG S 3 :9 | “Give me an understanding heart so that I can . . . know the difference
between right and wrong.”
Tenaciously seeking after God’s wisdom is the way to discern right priorities.
• 1 SA MU E L 1 4 :3 6 | Then Saul said, “Let’s chase the Philistines all night and plunder them
until sunrise. Let’s destroy every last one of them.” His men replied, “We’ll do whatever
you think is best.” But the priest said, “Let’s ask God first.”
Get God’s input before setting priorities.
• PR O VE R B S 2 2 :1 | Choose a good reputation over great riches.
• 1 T I MOT H Y 2 :1 | I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them;
intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.
• 1 PE T E R 4 :8 | Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love
covers a multitude of sins.
Be intentional about priorities. Set them and tend to them first. Only then will your life have
its fullest meaning.
When we fail to set priorities, we will stop doing what is right in God’s eyes.
PROMISE FROM GOD
• PR O VE R B S 3 :6 | Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Problems See Adversity; Conflict
Protection See also Help; Persecution; Spiritual Warfare
Celebrities hire bodyguards, some people take classes in self-defense, and others turn
their homes into mini fortresses with gates, locks, and alarms. We are all worried about
protection. According to the Bible, God is concerned about our protection too. But how
are we to understand God’s protection in a world where accidents happen and tragedy
strikes? The answer lies in trusting the sovereignty of God. Sometimes God moves in
miraculous ways to protect his people from harm (Daniel’s three friends in the fiery furnace, Daniel 3). But usually God seems more concerned about our spiritual protection
than our physical safety—guarding our souls from the clutches of the Evil One. When we
put our earthly life and our eternal future in perspective, the concept of protection takes
on a larger and more significant meaning.
Does God promise to protect me?
• PSA L M 3 1 :1 9 | How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You
lavish it on those who come to you for protection.
• DA NI E L 3 :1 7 -1 8 | “The God whom we serve is able to save us. . . . But even if he doesn’t . . .”
(See note on page 775.)
• DA NI E L 6 :2 2 | “My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt
me.” (See note on page 779.)
• PSA L M 9 1 :1 1 | For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.
Sometimes God protects and delivers in miraculous ways in order to preserve us so we
can continue to serve him. But the ultimate fulfillment of this promise is in the spiritual protection of God’s loving grace rather than physical protection. Like Daniel’s friends, we must
commit ourselves to obeying God no matter what happens to our earthly body.
HelpFinder
• J U DG E S 1 7 :6 | In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right
in their own eyes. (See note on page 234.)
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What happens when I fail to set priorities?