THREE OUTCOMES OF PRIORITIZING GOD AS NUMBER ONE

July 10, 2026

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works. Psalm 73:28

1. GOD’S GOODNESS FILLS OUR LIVES. The best part of your existence is the Lord. The best thing going in your life is not your health, though it’s important; your relationships, though they’re important; or your bank account, though that’s significant. “No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18). When you prioritize God as number one, and He becomes central, goodness starts to happen.

2. GOD BECOMES OUR SAFE ZONE IN DIFFICULT TIMES. We live in a fallen world, meaning life isn’t perfect and doesn’t always happen the way it’s supposed to. We’re still in a place that’s yearning for hope – as the Bible describes it, we are looking through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV). Maybe one of your kids has gone down a wayward path. Maybe an investment you made evaporated. Maybe you received an alarming symptom in your body or experienced the loss of a loved one. But when we fix our hope on God, He anchors us (Hebrews 6:19). And I’m not talking about baseless optimism or self-help. It’s helping ourselves to the God who lifts us up and produces change. When you set the Lord continually before you, you will not be shaken (Psalm 16:8). He has given us stability. He has given us purpose. He has given us promise. He has given us hope.

I like Van Morrison. He’s a great Irish singer with that earthy blend of blues, jazz, and gospel. Years ago, he recorded the old hymn “Just a Closer Walk with Thee.” It was beautiful and spoke to me, inspiring me to walk closely with God. 

“Just a closer walk with TheeGrant it, Jesus, if you pleaseI’ll be satisfied as longAs I walk, dear Lord, close to Thee”

3. WE WANT TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT HIM. Jesus leaves a mark on a life. When you become aware of how good God is and that He’s your refuge, you want to tell people about Him. The Bible says that when people observed the disciples and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, “they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). It wasn’t about their pedigree or about being born with a silver spoon. They didn’t have the typical identifiers that mark achievement, success, prestige, or skills of any kind. People could just tell, “Oh, they’ve been with Jesus.” Your connection with Jesus is detectable. Be sure that your fellowship is continually bumped up to the front burner with God.

DEFINITION: prox·​im·​i·​ty, noun

Nearness in space, time, or relationship.

SAY THIS OUT LOUD:

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works (Psalm 73:28).