Friday, March 22, 2024

Seek First...

 Morning Musing 12/11/2019


Part of a response to a question I was asked:
If you read in the book of Acts you will see how all that believed sold houses and lands as was necessary to lighten one another's burdens and they lived together and had all things in common. They gave their lives for the Gospel's sake. As in their main work was to be about The Father's business, sharing the Good News and living the Good News.

One thing that really woke me up when I first started reading the New Testament is that we have been programmed to live opposite of the teachings of Christ. The World really pushes people to seek first financial comforts, but Christ teaches us to seek first The Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all our physical needs will be added unto us.

It was such a freedom and wonderful revelation to learn I was doing it backwards. God's righteousness in our hearts is so much more important than our physical needs. We need His patience, meekness, humility, loving-kindness, wisdom, faith, etc to make it through this life and He is so faithful to provide the food and clothing His children need.

That's not to say those who are starving in this world are not His children, but rather they are a witness of the consequences of man's free will and ability to choose, and that many love darkness more than light... The consequences being that when people lust for material possessions and comforts and do not desire to do the will of the Father they will oppress and destroy lives to get what they want.  
(Knowingly or unknowingly)

Thus people go hungry and thirsty in a world full of water and food.

We can never blame God for those suffering in this way. And if those who are suffering from starvation seek first His Kingdom, they, by the loving kindness of God can have peace and rest in their Spirit though their flesh fails for hunger. Seeking first the Kingdom is a command for all people, for in doing so we come to know the one and only true Life that comes from Christ alone.

Take a minute and read this:

Matthew 6:24-34
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

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

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.