First Place

In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest calledthe Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides.
Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing manna, Aaron’s staff that
sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the
Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out
over the Ark’s cover, the place of atone ment. But we cannot explain
these things in detail now.~ Hebrews 9:4-5 (NLT)

Taking a commercial inventory is a fact-finding and a fact-facing process. It is an effort to discover the truth about the stock-in-trade. One object is to disclose damaged or unsalable goods, to get rid of them promptly and without regret. ~ Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 64

Incense altar, Ark of the Covenant,
Aaron’s staff, manna,
Ten Commandments, (second edition —
replacing smashed first set).
Last year’s must-have
Christmas gift,
the gadget ready to
storm the market —
five years back,
the new electronic masterpiece
that has them lined up
out the door.
Stuff. Just things,
though priceless or
out-of-date discardables.
When things attain preeminence
it’s time to set them all aside
without regret.

God, let me never put anything
ahead of my need for a
closer relationship with you.