Order of Priorities

2 Thess.3:1-5...pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread quickly and be held in honor, just as it was with you.  And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men; for not everyone holds to the faith.  But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. *** Day breaks; responsibility rouses mankind from slumber’s cot... I began this poem last Saturday, as I juggled demandswhere 'cares (and duties) of this world tug and weigh'...On Monday I stayed with my (ever-growing-frailer) mother-in-law as she listenedto the funeral message as another of her dear friendswas laid to rest; a 93 yr. old mother of 13! (side note; my mother-in-law will turn 93, if the Lord wills, on Aug.2)During the funeral serviceone of the ministers shared a story he read about a farmerwho was building a new milk house.When the building inspector asked to see his permit he confessed that he forgot to get one.The Inspector asked him if he remembered to order gravel. 'yes' said the farmer.And cement? again, the farmer answered yes. And did you remember toline up help for this project, the inspector pressed.Yes, said the farmer once more. Then the inspector said to him,Now I know, you did not forget to get a building permit.You just didn't deem it important!The minister was seeking to impress on the listenerthe importance of recognizing what is truly important and preparing for it; preparing the Soul to meet God is life's most dire urgencyfor no one knows when 'dust-to-dust’s mandate will appease'all earthly priorities. What is important to us we remember!What is important to us takes its place in our order of priorities!Below, a few beautiful paragraphs from the bookGeorge Muller of Bristol The order of priorities is sometimes hard to reconcileSo many tasks of ‘me first, please’, where weeds abound and flowers smileWhere happiness and heartache meet and mingle in the human breastWhere weariness and work compete and put will power to the testWhere souls to tend and bills to pay keep us on our knees and toesWhere cares of this world tug and weigh and what yet waits God only knows The order of priorities reveals the hierarchy withinWhere a most sacred diocese exists beneath our cloak of skinNo matter who or where we are, God sees the hearts of you and meWhere who we worship sets the bar for what will take priorityAnd, holy is the consequence of what is just as it appearsAs precedence yields evidence by what Priority reveres Day breaks; responsibility rouses mankind from slumber’s cotWhere instantly Priority beckons in the throne-room of ThoughtOh Lord, how great Thou art; oh, guard us from the evil one todayLet Thy word in our minds and hearts equip us to trust and obeyBefore this boon of beckoning, dust-to-dust’s mandate will appeaseAnd then will be the reckoning for order of priorities © Janet Martin 2 Pet.1:3-9His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;  and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;  and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness, having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Yesterday I spent a while tackling 'where weeds were abounding! (and flowers smiling!)