Today's reading

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. –Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV

May 20, 2023

Put God First

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. –Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV

Have you ever been making dinner, thrown the packaging in the trash, and then had to dig it out of the trash to find the directions? We all have. Let’s face it—we’re not good at following directions. We’re all in a hurry to get things done, and we think we already know how to do it. We don’t need anyone telling us what to do until we fail. It’s only when we fail that we go looking for someone who knows what to do.

King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived, and he deprived himself of nothing. Yet at the end of his life, he came to the conclusion that all is vanity and that there is nothing new under the sun. He concluded that there is no lasting earthly glory, no ultimately fulfilling pleasure, no certainty in life except that it will always end in death. How depressing! But…the directions for life are written in Ecclesiastes if we’ll only take the time to read them. The directions are simple. Walk with God and find enduring hope. For a satisfying life, to find purpose and grace, seek God first. He is the cure for the curse upon mankind. PGF: Put God First.

prayer focuses

Father, help me to always put You first in everything I do. Help me to follow Your directions for my life.

Father, I want to seek first the kingdom of God and Your righteousness, for I know that You will make all my paths straight. I want to follow Your path.

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about the

Author

Brenda Beattie

Brenda Beattie is a retired letter carrier and an active Chaplain for the USPS. She and her husband retired to Bradenton because they loved their church, Bayside Community Church. She has self-published two books, "Finding Sacred Ground In The Daily Grind," and "The Case Of The Missing Letter." She is also a repeat author for "Chicken Soup For The Soul." Her articles appear monthly in the "Mountaineer," a postal publication. Her hearts desire is to encourage and to give hope.