Seek Ye First

^{Matthew 6:}

³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

I attended a funeral almost a month ago for a friend of my moms that died at the age of 51 of a heart attack. I only met the man once and remembered him for making us all laugh and for being the life of the party. I attended that day with my mom for support and well just because of how much of an impression he made on me in those few hours I spent with him.

The preacher did an amazing job at the service and spoke of the above scripture because the man's children said their dad sang it to them every single day when they were growing up (to the point that it annoyed them in their high school days). But what struck me the most, almost knocked the wind out of my spirit causing everything inside me to be still were the next words the preacher spoke: "In Heaven, there is no more seeking!" Pause a minute and let that really soak into your spirit. I could just cry with the hope that resides in that statement. So much truth and peace and freedom! I think we all spend so much of our days seeking the approval of men, or the things of this world, or the dollar amount in our bank account or the you fill in the blank but all we have to do is seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Let's break this down with my non theology background :)

What is the kingdom of God?

I think its Him and His fellowship of believers. A relationship that is born of the Spirit. So does God say in His Holy Word that we should seek Him and those that know Him? YES! But he also states clearly that we should seek those who do not know Him as well. Ultimately our minds and hearts should be focused on the things of Him.

What is His Righteousness?

The Bible dictionary defines Righteousness as:

1. (n.) Holiness; purity; uprightness; rectitude.

2. (n.) A righteous act, or righteous quality.

3. (n.) The act or conduct of one who is righteous.

4. (n.) The state of being right with God; justification; the work of Christ, which is the ground of justification.

So dear ones! It is our challenge as believers to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Remember that today has enough trouble of its own so don't worry about tomorrow. Hope for our days with the Lord when there will be No More Seeking! Thank you Lord for the life of Jim Dudley and what he taught me in his life and death. Praise you that he doesn't have to seek and that he has found and that he is now in heaven with you!

Dear Lord,

Thank you for stirring a stillness inside of me that day. Thank you for awakening me to what You want me to know and do. Thank You that You have set my feet upon a rock and that I cannot be shaken. Lord, rise up a generation of believers who seek Your face and listen to conviction in their lives. I thank You Lord that one day there will be no more sorrow, or pain, or seeking. I love You!