Seek Him first above all else

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The power of God for you and in you”

Our Bible verse for today: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Matthew 6:33 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Seek Him first above all else”

Today is Monday, the beginning of the new workweek for many. If you’re like me, you probably have a “to-do” list of things to accomplish for the week, and that is then broken down into a smaller list for each day. That’s good. Planning like that gives us focus and keeps us on track.

But it’s also possible to get so caught-up in our own plans that we miss God’s direction. And if that happens, we miss His will for us. And if that happens, we end up doing things in our own power rather than in His power because He will not give us His power to do things that are not in His will. Therefore, we must seek His will rather than our own.

That is essentially what Jesus was teaching in Matthew 6:25-34 (the “do not worry” portion of the Sermon on the Mount). In that passage He taught first that our earthly needs, like food and housing and clothing, are all legitimate needs – they are not unimportant. And in many other places in the Bible, we are also told that we do have a responsibility to work hard and to provide those things for ourselves and our families to the greatest extent that we can. But such things should not be our primary focus. Instead, we are to focus on accomplishing God’s will instead of our own. If we will do that, God will then work behind the scenes on our behalf to make sure that the other necessities of life are taken care of as well. Our focus must be on God and on His will first, rather than on ourselves and on our own concerns.

Solomon taught this same truth in a slightly different way in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight.”

If we focus on God first, we are much more likely to accomplish His will, in His way, and with His power. If we focus on our own concerns first, we will end up becoming compulsively preoccupied with work; or we will be anxious and distracted by financial concerns; or we will waste excessive time on hobbies and video games and other non-productive pursuits. God’s will accomplished with God’s power will always produce God’s results – and that will always be what is best for us.

So, I encourage you to approach this new week, and this new day, with the resolve that you will do it in His wisdom and in His power rather than in your own. God’s wisdom and God’s power are available to those who will seek Him first above all else.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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