Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first.”
Our Bible verse for today: “God has made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.” Ecclesiastes 7:29 (TEV)
Our thought for today: “If the devil can’t make you bad, he will make you busy.”
Not too long ago my wife and I came to the conclusion that it’s time to make some significant changes in our lives. For one thing, I’m way too busy. I’m the Pastor of a healthy and dynamic church; and I work for a mission agency planning and leading international mission trips; and I have a jail ministry assisting men with substance abuse problems that are destroying their lives; and then there are household projects; and yard maintenance; and hobbies; and I try hard to be a good husband, and father; and … well, you get the picture. In fact, that probably sounds a lot like your life.
“But those are all good things”, you say. And you’re right, they are. In fact, we can fill our lives with so many good things that we end up missing the God things. Not every good thing is necessarily a God thing – it’s not necessarily something the Lord intends for us to be involved in. Pastor Rick Warren teaches that if you’ve become so busy that you can’t get it all done, then you’re busier than God intends for you to be.
Additionally, we occupy a house that is twice the size we need. To maintain it we probably spend twice the money on living expenses as is really necessary. Two people just don’t need 3000 square feet, 5 bedrooms, and 2 ½ baths. Much of it is wasted space and wasted money. And so, we’re selling it and moving to something smaller, cheaper, and easier to take care of.
I love the way Today’s English Version (the old Good News Bible), translates Ecclesiastes 7:29, “God has made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.” Yup, that describes me. But with Linda’s patient help I’m in the process of correcting it.
Are there some adjustments you need to make in your own life? It really is true that if the devil can’t make you bad, he will settle for making you busy. Either way you end up out of synch with God and less effective than you would otherwise be.
Keep first things first. Don’t let good things get in the way of God things.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 
I agree JIm…this has been my situation…way to long. Thanks for todays devotional
message…I love to read them daily, and as you know..I use them a lot in my 150 family
mailing. Thanks for allowing me to do that. Pastor Vern [I turned 82 last week}
feeling good and energy level is great again. One day..I need to sit down with U
at your office at Ken’s and have a short talk ..I am careful who I share and talk to….
so when your available for about 15+ MIN. GIVE ME A CALL AT 931-337-2971
—————————————–From: “Oak Hill Baptist Church” To: Cc: Sent: Thu, 6 Aug 2015 10:36:19 +0000 Subject: [New post] Devotional for Thursday August 6th
oakhillcrossville posted: “Good Morning Everyone, Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first.” Our Bible verse for today: “God has made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.” Ecclesiastes 7:29 (TEV) Our thought for today: “If the devi”
Thanks Vern. I write the devotionals as part of my own time with the Lord and then pray that He might use them to be of some benefit to others. I’ll give you a call later today.