Seek Ye First

 

Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

This phrase comes about midway in the Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 5 – 7, where Jesus is speaking to his disciples. If you haven't read the whole thing, go back and read it, possibly with a commentary on the side or with your study Bible.

What's going to be added unto you if you first seek the kingdom of God? All that's needed. You will have the basics and much, much more. The Lord is generous and kind. He will see that you have food, shelter and clothing. He tells you not to worry about these things. And you probably say – that's easy for YOU to say – you're God, but I don't have enough money, etc.

This is where it gets sticky. Whose kingdom are you seeking when you are worrying about these things? Do you seek to do His will? Are you following His path? Is the world closing in on you? Who is the prince of theworld? Our enemy has control of the earth, but not of those that belong to Jesus. Our citizenship is not here onearth, but in heaven with the Lord. We are merely passing through this place on our way home.

It's not easy to keep your focus on heaven when you are cold or hungry or sick. This is when Satan has his best chance to try to steal us out of the Kingdom. Our weak point is his strong point. That's when keeping our eyes on Jesus is so important. When we earnestly seek His face, he will not fail us. We may not get well or a fancy coat or a 9-course meal, but provision will be there for us. Strength in the face of the adversary is being added each time we seek first the kingdom of God.

Does this mean it's a sin to worry? Or that if we are seeking Jesus in all we do that we won't worry? No on both counts. We are human and unlike our Saviour, we fail. But the word in scripture was seek, not have ye first. It is in the seeking that we receive the reward. For most Christians, that reward is a sense of peace in the midst of the storm. It's a knowing that no matter what, God will find a way.