LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 6:32-34, “For after all these things Gentiles seek.  For your Heavenly Father knows that you need these things (food, drink, clothing). But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”   Jesus

 

Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”  Jesus

 

These verses go together.  I pray these every day over my daughters, sons-in-laws, and grandchildren, and our family in Iowa.  My greatest desire is for them to increase their faith by seeking the righteousness of God.  How does that happen?  In the last page of the blog, I discussed what “little faith” means.  But a little faith is not enough; we all need greater faith!

 

As Christians, Believers, we are to be different from unbelievers!  If you can get ahold of that it will inevitably lead to greater faith. Jesus called unbelievers Gentiles; Gentile really means heathen.  Heathens spend a lot of time thinking about food, drink, and clothing.  If you want to increase your faith don’t be like the Gentiles.  The heathen has knowledge of salvation, no knowledge of God.  So, they did not know about the view of life that is taught in the Bible; their view of life is limited to their own thoughts.   The unbeliever’s view toward life is one believes nothing can be done to change whatever is going to happen.  The result is to be anxious or worry about what is going to happen.

 

The Sermon on the Mount and the Bible tell us that life happens the way it does because we are in the hands of the Creator, the living God.  That view of life determines the way we react to what happens around us.  How do you react to the crisis that suddenly happens in your life?  What comes out of your mouth in the heat of the moment.  Before you think I’m pointing a finger, remember I have more fingers pointing back to me.  After all this time I’m still praying with the disciples “Lord, increase my faith!”  I continually must remember who I am in Jesus Christ and do my best to live accordingly.

 

I ask you to join with me to continue to perfecting my relationship with the Lord.  Join me as I SEEK first the kingdom of God and my relationship to Him.  Join me as I SEEK His righteousness knowing when I do, I will be filled.  To SEEK carries with it the thought that seeking is done with intensity.  We are to SEEK His Kingdom and His righteousness first, before everything else; it is a priority for every Believer.  Don’t think about other things and put them first. Don’t do that! You and I must come to the point where this is an absolute priority.  We must SEEK earnestly to have the rule and power of God demonstrated in our lives.  His righteousness comes through the power of the Holy Spirit as we SEEK to obey Christ’s commands and way of life, remaining separate from the world and showing His love toward all people.

 

Here is the bottom line.  The Christian is to SEEK the righteousness of Christ, seeking to grow more and more like Him.  That is the way to grow in faith.  Be different from unbelievers.  Place your absolute faith and reliance upon GOD as your heavenly Father.  Then concentrate on perfecting your relationship to Him.

 

My challenge to you is to join me in the new year as I SEEK first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.  I am going to pray this for each of you as I pray this for my family.  I really believe doing so will change your life!  I am betting eternity on it.

 

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