First Things First

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 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. ( Read Matthew 6:25-34)

Why worry when you can pray, right? I read a tweet that said, “Prayer is where burdens change shoulders.” At the beginning of this new year, there is a lot of trepidation, uncertainty, a lot of questions, insecurity, fear, worry, anxiety, and misplaced faith in this world. Instead of trusting God to meet all of our needs according to His riches in glory, so many find themselves trying to figure it all out on their own. In times of crises, trouble, and despair, rather than casting our cares upon the Lord, some find themselves struggling and failing miserably at attempts to fix things themselves. Wall Street and the national debt are joy killers, for sure! Financial burdens are onerous, and questions of job security and meeting family obligations cloud so many minds, and are the cause of many sleepless nights. What am I going to do? How am I going to make it to my next paycheck? How am I going to keep my utilities on? Why me? God, are you there? STOP! First things first! The Word of God tells us, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.“ What does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God? If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. (Colossians 3:1-2) Rather than encumbering ourselves with mountains of worry about temporal things, we are to focus our hearts, our minds, and our endeavors on the kingdom of God, on the eternal! What happened to the faith that can move mountains? What happened to mustard seed faith? It is time to once again lay hold on your faith. We are to diligently seek the Lord, and the things of the Lord! Our focus should be on the spiritual man, and not on our physical bodies and outward appearances. Yes, we are to make provisions for food and clothing. However, we are not to become anxious about these things! We are not to worry about what we will eat or drink naturally, but we are to concern ourselves with satisfying the hunger and thirst for righteousness, that we be filled! Our souls are at stake, and it behooves us to seek the righteousness of God! A well-known televangelist preached a sermon titled, “A Well Kept Body, and a Neglected Soul.” Think on that for a moment. I implore you not to neglect your soul! Caring for your soul should be your top priority! God is going to take care of your physical needs, but you must trust Him, to be a God of His word, and to supply your needs! As God takes care of the fowls of the air, and the lilies of the field, how much more so will He take care of you? God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through? (Numbers 23:19) Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:19-21) First things first! May the Lord bless you abundantly, today and every day!