Tag: What the Bible says about putting God first in everything

Bible Verse of The Day – 7-15-19

Job 1:20-21 (NKJV) 20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Job had just received terrible news that he had lost everything in a very short span of time. He had gone from having a family and being wealthy with material goods, to losing it all.

Imagine how he must have felt. Despair would most likely be an understatement. He probably felt hopeless, dejected and despondent.

Job did what people did back then when a catastrophe struck. He tore his clothing and shaved his head.

But notice what he did next. He worshiped God.

This is one of the most interesting aspects of these verses. Despite his great sorrow and his terrible loss, he worshiped God in the midst of it all.

How many of us would worship God if disaster such as this struck us?

Most of us would more than likely be in deep despair, with worshiping God far from our minds. But this is a good test for us, to measure where we’re at spiritually.

Now, this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be sad or we shouldn’t mourn the loss of someone we love. But it’s a good reminder to check ourselves and our priorities, to see where we’re at.

Every situation is different. And each of us is in a different place spiritually. So, it’s not a terrible thing if we don’t drop what we’re doing and begin worshiping God when something bad happens.

But, as we ponder on this, it should give us some insight as to where our priorities are.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page. 

Please consider making a Donation.

Get our mobile app here: 

Android: http://goo.gl/oQ6qa7 

Apple: http://apple.co/2lZdgYy

Tagged with: , , ,

Bible Verse of The Day – 7-9-19

1 John 2:5 (NKJV) 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

People may question their relationship or their salvation at times. But if we pay attention to what this verse is saying, we will know the answer to where we stand with God.

Whoever keeps His word. What does it mean to keep His word?

It simply means we obey Him and do our best to follow Him in everything we do.

Sometimes it will be easy for us, because our flesh will go along with the right thing to do. But, other times our flesh will not like what the Spirit of God is convicting us of and it will buck or rebel against it.

If we truly love God, our Spirit man will rise up and do the right thing. We will follow His convictions and do what He is asking us to do, in spite of our feelings.

Romans 12:2 (NKJV) 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Our love toward Him will cause us to want to obey and be loyal in our hearts and minds, and to want to do His will.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page. 

Please consider making a Donation.

Get our mobile app here: 

Android: http://goo.gl/oQ6qa7 

Apple: http://apple.co/2lZdgYy

Tagged with: , , , , ,

Bible Verse of The Day – 4-29-19

Exodus 32:9 (NKJV) 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! 

As Moses spent time with God on Mt. Sinai, the people of Israel grew impatient, and they exposed what was in their hearts by creating and worshiping a golden idol. 

They had been led out of slavery in Egypt by God’s miraculous hand. They had witnessed things that should have sealed their faith in God for the rest of their lives. 

But somehow, they quickly forgot all of that and began to bow down and worship a golden calf. 

As God saw their behavior, He called them a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people. No matter what He did for them, they always seemed to rebel and stray from Him in their hearts. 

This is a good lesson for us to learn, as we see how the Israelites behaved, to make sure we don’t do the same. 

Now, we might not actually build a physical idol of gold and bow down before it. But we may put something else before God, which is equal to idol worship. 

What might that be? Our career, our family, our hobbies, musicians, celebrities, money, sex, or any other number of things? We can replace God in many, many ways without even realizing that we’re doing it. Most times it’s not intentional. It just kind of happens. 

Let’s not be a stiff-necked people. Let’s learn from the things that God’s word teaches us about the Israelites. And let’s throw away our idols and keep God in His rightful place, on the throne of our hearts. 

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie 

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808 

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page. 

Please consider making a Donation.

Get our mobile app here: 

Android: http://goo.gl/oQ6qa7 

Apple: http://apple.co/2lZdgYy

Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Bible Verse of The Day – 4-22-19

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

As each day passes, and I spend time watching and listening to what other believers share about God, I have noticed something that really saddens me.

We’ve turned Christianity around so that everything is backwards.

So much of what we hear, see and are taught revolves around how to get everything we can get from God. But we hear so little about what we can give to God.

We need to change our attitude. We need to stop constantly looking for what we want and ask God what He wants.

Remember, it’s more about Him, than it is about us.

Deuteronomy 6:5 (NKJV) 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Yes, He wants to bless us and reward us. But those things are not first and foremost in our relationship with Him.

Imagine having children who only looked to us for what they wanted, but not to give anything in return.

What kind of relationship would that be? How would that work out for the children as they grew up and matured? And how empty would we feel as parents if all we did was give, but never got anything genuine in return?

It’s kind of a bleak picture, isn’t it? Spoiled kids and hurt parents, with nothing to show for the love and care they gave to their children, except a broken, empty heart.

Church, let’s start putting God first, where He belongs. And let’s stop looking at Him as a Genie in a bottle that we have only to grant us our every wish.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page. 

Please consider making a Donation.

Get our mobile app here: 

Android: http://goo.gl/oQ6qa7 

Apple: http://apple.co/2lZdgYy

Tagged with: , , ,

Bible Verse of The Day – 12-31-18

Deuteronomy 6:5 (NKJV) 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

As we move into a new year, many people tend to set their sights on new goals and things they want to accomplish in the coming weeks and months.

While this can sometimes be a good thing, the vast majority of the people who loosely commit themselves to these “New Year’s Resolutions” start off with a bang and then slowly fizzle, never reaching their intended goal.

This happens for a couple of reasons. 1, because they set unrealistic goals without ever “counting the cost”. 2, because they create these goals based on emotional feelings or on things they have seen others do.

Is it wrong to have goals? Absolutely not! Without goals, we will never move beyond where we are now. Nothing will ever change.

The important thing is to have the right motives when we set goals and to create goals that are God-inspired, not emotionally driven.

Our biggest and foremost goal should always be to put God before everything and everyone else. This is a goal that should be taken very seriously and pursued with a pure heart.

When we put God first and follow His leading, everything else in our lives eventually lines up and falls into place.

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

So, as we move into 2019, let us not get caught up in the New Year hype. But let’s get “caught up” in God, our loving and merciful Father who gave His all for us.

Doesn’t He deserve that we give our all for Him?

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page. 

Please consider making a Donation.

Get our mobile app here: 

Android: http://goo.gl/oQ6qa7 

Apple: http://apple.co/2lZdgYy

Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Bible Verse of The Day – 10-1-18

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

So many times we hear this verse used to teach about faith and all of its virtues. And that is good.

But we have to be careful not to ignore the last part of this verse; He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

So many of us are seeking something from God. It’s probably pretty safe to say that most of us are. But are we doing what God asks of us?

No, this isn’t about works vs. faith. It’s about obedience, and about understanding that most times, God will ask us to take steps in order to bring something to fruition.

We have fallen into the habit of thinking that just because we ask God for something, or tell Him that we want something, that He is obligated to give it to us.

But if we are treating God like a magic piggy bank, we’ve got it all wrong.

God needs to come first in everything. We need to seek Him diligently, for the sole purpose of wanting to know Him more and growing our relationship with Him, not just to get rewarded.

If our motives are wrong, our seeking is largely in vain. As Jesus taught, we are to seek the kingdom of God first, before anything else. Then, and only then will the blessings and rewards come.

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page. 

Please consider making a Donation.

Click the player below listen to today’s devotional.

Get our mobile app here: 

Android: http://goo.gl/oQ6qa7 

Apple: http://apple.co/2lZdgYy

Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,

Bible Verse of The Day – 7-12-18

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Seeking God and His righteousness, before seeking anything else, should be our goal as a follower of Christ. Doing this on a personal level is the key to how all these things are added to us.

As we grow as a Christian, we learn to work toward allowing God to become everything in our life. We surrender even those things that we think are for us to decide on, and we give it to Him so He can show us what He has to say regarding them

It takes time to learn this. We will notice that on some days it is easier to do than other days. Why is this?

Because our emotions and feelings are fickle. One day we can decide on something, and the next day we can change and do just the opposite. We can be quite indecisive at times.

Giving God control over our lives, even when we are feeling in control, is the first step.

For example, when we pull back and say, “Lord, I believe I know what I need to do in this situation, however, I would like you to confirm it for me and show me, just in case I may be off in any way”.

That is one way to get His answer and direction. Seek Him first. Don’t just take steps and then have to pay for it later. Put some time and effort into it and really go after Him for His counsel and direction.

He is speaking to some today and asking if we are willing to seek Him and His righteousness first, that He may, in return, add to us.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page. 

Please consider making a Donation.

Click the player below listen to today’s devotional.

Get our mobile app here: 

Android: http://goo.gl/oQ6qa7 

Apple: http://apple.co/2lZdgYy

Tagged with: , , ,

Bible Verse of The Day – 6-22-18

John 12:37 (NKJV) 37 But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him…

The problem here was not that they didn’t have enough signs. There were other underlying issues.

People don’t always want to see things for what they are. There’s something that takes place when we do. For one, we need to admit we were wrong and two, there is usually a change that needs to come along with it.

No one can make anyone see things if a person is not willing to see it. And no one can change a person if they are not willing to change. They have to be willing to see with their own eyes and to change in their own heart and mind.

In the scripture above, Jesus gave them an opportunity through many signs, to see Who He was and believe in Him. Why didn’t they believe? Because of their will.

We can teach, we can train, and we can go out of our way to make sure we do all that we need to do to help people. But what it comes down to is if their will is not in it, and they are not willing to see, listen and take action, nothing is going to happen.

They just aren’t willing. And we may never know why. We just need to do our part and move on.

Sometimes we don’t want to change because we are not willing. Other times it’s because we like what we hear and see around us.

John 12:43 (NKJV) 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

Some of us love the praise of men more. How sad is that?

We care more about what people may say or think about us than what God has to say. And because of this, we let them control our thinking, our actions and all that we do.

Man did not influence Jesus. Nor did they pressure Him into doing anything or have control over Him.

John 5:41 (NKJV) 41 “I do not receive honor from men.

Man could not move Jesus. Jesus was moved by His Father only.

Is our will lining up with God’s will for us today? Or is it lining up with man’s will for us, because we love the praise from their lips?

Know this; that man is fickle and as soon as we say no or disagree with them, they will turn their backs on us like they never knew us. God will stick with us through thick and thin!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page. 

Please consider making a Donation.

Click the player below listen to today’s devotional.

Get our mobile app here: 

Android: http://goo.gl/oQ6qa7 

Apple: http://apple.co/2lZdgYy

Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,

Bible Verse of The Day – 6-21-18

1 Samuel 7:3 (NKJV) 3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

Many have drifted away from God. Maybe it’s someone you know. Maybe it’s you.

Foreign gods can come in many forms. They don’t even have to have specific names, or even specific religious rituals to follow.

They just need to be able to take our attention off of the one true God long enough to cause us to put Him on the back burner for a while. Or maybe we move Him down our list of priorities, to somewhere lower than at the top.

There are many kinds of “Ashtoreths”, false goddesses, that we keep images of in our hearts and our homes; Money, fame, social status, self-vanity, sports stars, movie and musical celebrities, and so many more. They each hold a special little piece of our hearts.

Those pieces of our hearts are places where God is not allowed. Oh, He can look. But He can’t touch.

Many of us are facing our very own “Philistines” in our lives. We are standing in front of giants that taunt us and mock us, laughing out loud and daring us to step forward and just try to slay them, knowing that our false gods have weakened us and caused us to become spiritually impotent.

Our hearts can no longer afford to be divided between God and “Ashtoreth”. The division only makes us weak and feeble, unable to conquer a single foe, let alone a menacing giant.

It’s time for us to return to God with our whole heart. It’s time for us to put away the foreign gods and the “Ashtoreths”, and get serious with God. We need to serve and obey Him alone. When we do this, He will deliver us from the hand of the Philistines in due time.

Menacing giants or victory? Ashtoreth or God? It’s up to us; we choose.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page. 

Please consider making a Donation.

Click the player below listen to today’s devotional.

Get our mobile app here: 

Android: http://goo.gl/oQ6qa7 

Apple: http://apple.co/2lZdgYy

Tagged with: , , , , ,

Bible Verse of The Day – 6-19-18

Mark 12:30 (NKJV) 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

This commandment comes first for a very good reason. If we can love God like this, nothing can stop us from being in His will.

Our heart, soul, mind, strength; These are the very parts of us that help us to conquer and make right decisions. Loving God with all our strength will help us to be able to physically and mentally take the steps He’s ordering for us.

If we can learn to love Him in such a way, this love will bless our hearts, our lives, and our whole beings. We will walk daily in His will and His blessings for us.

A good test for us to try is to ask ourselves where we are right now in our walk with Him. Can we say that we are loving Him this way? If not, don’t give up or get discouraged. Look at what we are doing and where the changes need to come. Ask God to help us make the adjustments.

Obedience comes through love. So we need to make sure we love Him more than the activities we participate in. Love Him more than wealth, more than work, more then titles, alcohol, drugs, spending money, traveling, and love Him more than we love ourselves and others. Our love for Him must be first.

If we love Him more, we will put Him first. And His commandments will not be burdensome.

1 John 5:3 (NKJV) 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

LOVE activates obedience.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page. 

Please consider making a Donation.

Click the player below listen to today’s devotional.

Get our mobile app here: 

Android: http://goo.gl/oQ6qa7 

Apple: http://apple.co/2lZdgYy

Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Bible Verse of The Day – 5-17-18

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

God wants to bless us. And it’s safe to say that we all want to be blessed.

So, why is it that so many of us lack? Why is it that we can never seem to “get ahead”? And why do our lives so often feel empty and meaningless?

Most times it’s because we have our priorities a bit mixed up.

Most of us want to have a strong relationship with God. We want to please Him and do what’s right in His eyes. But we never seem to quite get it right.

So, what’s the solution to this never-ending dilemma? How do we get our lives turned around and stop feeling like we’re being dragged through the dirt all the time, never able to break free and get cleaned up?

When we peel away all of the layers of mystery that man has created that seem to put God back behind the veil that was torn when Jesus died, it comes down to one simple thing; seeking first the kingdom of God.

We absolutely need to be putting God first in everything about our lives. There is no other way to say it and no other way to accomplish it. God comes first. Everything and everyone else comes after Him.

This is not some magic formula to riches beyond our wildest dreams. It’s not a specific sequence of steps that we follow, from A to Z, that will “open the heavens” and cause blessings to suddenly pour out.

But it’s a Biblical truth that, when we finally get it, and we put it into practice, will turn our lives around, little by little.

And, as we continue to put Him first in everything we will see more and more how God is shaping us, molding us and moving us through, and past, all the obstacles before us.

Deuteronomy 28:13 (NKJV) 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

To have the Bible Verse of The Day delivered to your inbox each day, please Click Here and then enter your email address in the box near the upper left corner of the page. 

Please consider making a Donation.

Click the player below listen to today’s devotional.

Get our mobile app here: 

Android: http://goo.gl/oQ6qa7 

Apple: http://apple.co/2lZdgYy

Tagged with: , , , , , , ,