Seeking first the kingdom

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.   Matthew 6:33

When God’s hand touches your life, no matter who you are or where you are, it is always earthshaking. It was true of the disciples when Jesus taught them.

What Jesus stressed was about the opposite of what everyone did, but what really seemed contrary to human logic was His direction: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

The disciples were fishermen, farmers, and small businessmen. They knew that unless you fish, you don’t catch. Unless you plant and cultivate, you don’t harvest, and unless you work, you don’t turn a profit. This was the law of the harvest – sowing and reaping. It had been true from the days of Adam and Eve to the present. But Jesus says, “Put God’s kingdom first and there will be fish in your net, produce in your barn, and enough profit to meet your needs.”

Is this still true in the 21st century? The reality is that some things never change. Some principles rise above the changes of time, and what Jesus stressed is just as true today as it was when He taught the disciples long ago. Make God first in your life and He will see that your needs are met.

The prerequisite: Prioritize your life, your time, your value system, and your relationships. No, this does not mean you neglect your family, running to church every third day, or neglect your business or your fields, as the case may be. But you, in a conscious decision, make God your senior partner, and you subject everything you have to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.