Seek First
“So above all, constantly seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly.” Matthew 6:33
We often hear or read familiar scriptures like this and tend to glaze over what this really means. How do we practically and actively live out His words? Let’s start with “so above all,” this means first. The absolute first thing we do in each day is turn our heart to Him. In the morning when you wake up regardless of what is on the schedule for the day- You can say to Jesus, Good morning. Thank you for this this day. What do you want to show me about today? He has to be the absolute first thing our hearts engage with, not the news, social media or emails.
Define constantly: without variation, deviation or change. Always. Some other words you could use is consistent, nonstop, perpetual, uninterrupted.
Always seek Yahweh’s kingdom in every situation. What is His kingdom? In Romans 14, Paul describes the kingdom of Yahweh as the realm of the Holy Spirit. As a lover of Jesus, we enter into a tangible relationship with the Holy Spirit. This relationship causes us to prioritize the things of Jesus. What does this look like? Actively pursuing Him in prayer. Let’s change how we think of prayer when you hear the word. Prayer is a conversation with Jesus. When you are in a conversation the dialogue is a back and forth. This means there is a time for us to listen. Prayer is not always making request. These conversations can be ongoing throughout the day. When you are constantly seeking His kingdom, you will hear Him talk to you about a concern you brought to Him. Let me share a small testimony.
Early Sunday morning, 3 am, I woke up with some concerns on my heart. I turned to Him the concerns and expressed my heart in those matters. When I got up a couple of hours later, I had a text from someone I rarely talk to with this scripture. Philippians 4:6 have no cares; but in everything with prayer and praise put your request before God. Then during the message from Pastor Tim on Sunday, the Holy Spirit gave me a firm word regarding a couple of my concerns. He gave me tangible actions to deal with the concerns. Yahweh never stops speaking to us if we are listening.
How else can we prioritize seeking His kingdom? We meditate on the scriptures, His written word. Jesus tells us we are to meditate day and night on what the scriptures say. This means not just reading through them to check off the box. Take your time in a few scriptures. Ask Him questions about them. Holy Spirit, what does this mean? How can I actively apply this to my life? The other ways we prioritize Him is by putting His desires and His values at the forefront of every decision we make. We learn His desires and values by mediating on His written word and listening for His spoken word.
What is the fruit of seeking His kingdom and righteousness first? We have peace and joy in our lives. No matter what struggle or storm is happening you can have peace and joy when you are seeking Him first.
This life can be demanding. It vies for our time, our thoughts, our energy and action. We have to work because we have houses, cars and groceries to pay for, but we cannot allow ourselves to be consumed with these demands. We have family and friends we want to see healed and free from hardships. No matter what you are hoping for and wanting to see happen in your life it is on the other side of “seek first the Kingdom of Yahweh and His righteousness.”
Make Him priority and bring glory to Him in everything you do. He promises if you do this everything else will be added. All those things you need and desire He will give them to you in abundance but FIRST - Jesus!
