Seeking – Week 20 / May 11th

by admin

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these
Things will be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

The word “seek” in scripture means “earnestly desire” or “desire intensely.” Those who follow Jesus must then earnestly desire the Kingdom of God. In the context of Matthew five, six and seven this means desiring that God’s rule and righteousness be established in one’s life. Our rebellion in the Garden of Eden led us to forfeit the likeness of God in our characters. This rebellion not only turned us into enemies of God but it also caused us to die or be banished from his presence. We became reprobates (sinful no-goods) deserving only the wrath of God. (Ephesians 2:1-3)

Jesus came looking for us; He demonstrated what the Kingdom of God looks like and His redemptive work on the cross opened up for us a way back to God. Those then who hear His voice calling them are infused with a desire to appropriate what was lost in the garden. They earnestly seek to have God crowned as King of their lives. This becomes their ambition and priority in life. It’s not as if they are searching for something. No, by repentance and faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross they have it but they desire more of it because they have tasted and have found out that The Lord is good. They are thus satisfied but unsatisfied because they want more of the riches of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul put it this way, “If then you have been raised up with Christ keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1)The healthy Christian has his or her priorities right in that from day to day the matters of the Kingdom of God are paramount in their lives. Character transformation is the chief purpose of Jesus for each and every one of us and when “walk like Him” then the Kingdom of God has come to our lives and we please Him. This is a process that unfolds within us day by day and we should always seek for this to happen by the power of the Holy Spirit. Once again, Paul tells us that he was driven by one desire and one desire only and that was to attain to Christ’s character perfection. He saw every day as a new opportunity to push forward to, or seek, this goal. (Philippians 3:8-14)

Those who live by this rule will have life’s other issues in place. God will see to this! This is why Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.” The “other things” are the issues of life: provision, finance, housing and health. There is no short-cut to these; one must put God first in everything and then He will care for you in everything. It’s as simple as that and yet many Christians struggle constantly because they simply will not seek first the Kingdom of God. The price they have to pay is just too hard for them even though God will truly meet with them if they just surrender to His will.

Seeking the things of God is a practice embraced by the truly saved and Jesus Himself underlined this when He invited His disciples to keep seeking for and knocking on God’s door. (Matthew 7:7) In due course God our father will open the door and reward us but He wants to see intense desire or, as Jesus put it on another occasion, we must thirst for the things of God. (John 7:37)  The question is; are we really infused with such a hunger for the Kingdom of God? We should examine ourselves carefully in this regard.

Malcolm Hedding.

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

2015Devotional