A Nugget from New Life Network
Scriptures for the Day (April 8, 2016)
In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success. (Proverbs 3:6, TLB)
I have lived in South Georgia for most of my life and I have never seen so much rain as we have seen this season. The ponds, rivers and lakes are out of their banks. I guess that’s great for the farmers and the water table but for a bass fisherman like myself it presents a real challenge.
A heavy rain in this area equals muddy water. The rain washes through freshly plowed farm fields and brings that red clay straight into the creeks, lakes, ponds and rivers. When that happens, catching bass becomes a real challenge. It’s not that you can’t have some fishing success, but it becomes much more difficult.
I woke up this morning thinking about muddy waters, except from a slightly different perspective. We counsel with so many people that have muddy waters in their lives, and especially in their marriages, which makes it so much more difficult to prosper and succeed. There is a statement we use in Georgia that says, “Don’t muddy the waters”, which means don’t confuse the issue or bring elements into the equation that would hinder the situation.
We have found over the years that a lot of muddy waters are caused by not following God’s Priority Plan. Yes, God does have a Priority Plan and it is very simple and easy to follow if you want calm and clear waters in your life and marriage. The following is a brief synopsis of this plan in priority order which can be seen in more detail in Ephesians 5:21 – 6:19:
GOD – But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)
SPOUSE – Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)
CHILDREN – Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. (Psalm 127:3)
JOB – Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; (Ephesians 6:5)
CHURCH – Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)
MINISTRY – And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (II Corinthians 5:18)
If you get any of these priorities out of order you are going to muddy the waters. Prime examples are when a job is prioritized over spouse and children, or when children are prioritized over a spouse. The biggest mistake is leaving God completely out of the equation, which really muddies the water.
It is always wise to take a periodic self-assessment of how you are doing with these priorities. It is real easy to get off course. How are you doing? It’s not too late to make a course correction!
Even strong young lions go without and get hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:19,CEB)
