0388. First, Seek the Kingdom of God

First, Seek the Kingdom of God

"But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Mat_6:33).

This theme has its application for both saint and sinner.

1. Let us apply it to the saint. The opening words of the Bible are "in the beginning God." Positionally that is where God should always be–before everything else.

In Col_1:18 we read that in all things He might have the pre-eminence. There is only one place for Christ, in our lives, and that is the first place, the highest seat, the throne.

The first commandment says: "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." This may mean, "Thou shalt have no other gods in My sight," and, it may mean, "Thou shalt have no other gods besides Me;" and it may mean, "Thou shalt have no other gods precedent to Me."

The truth is, that when anything, in our love life, in our wills, or in our service, in anything, comes before God, we are neither seeking Him, nor His Kingdom first.

We should seek God first, and let what we eat and what we wear be given the second thought. In whatever we do, whether we eat, or drink, we should do all to the glory of God.

Illustration: A girl received an invitation to accompany a young man to the Bell Ringers. She greatly wanted to go, only the Bell Ringers were to play on prayer meeting night.

The girl had a real struggle, but finally wrote her friend and declined his invitation. She felt that God must come first.

At the prayer service she told her experience, and how happy she was in her decision, because Christ was doubly near and precious to her.

That night there was a train wreck just a few blocks from her home. She hurried out with her father and found, under an overturned coach, a woman in a dying condition. She leaned down to ask the woman if she was saved. Immediately the dying one recognized her, and said: "Oh, I am so glad you did not go to the Bell Ringers. I was at that prayer meeting, and when I heard your testimony I accepted Christ as my Saviour. I’m so glad, so glad."

Christ first, should be our only rule in life.

2. The unsaved should seek first the Kingdom of God. They may be tempted to seek the things temporal, first–after such things the Gentiles do seek;–but Christ and His righteousness is far more important than these.

Two things are true.

1. If the sinner will seek Christ FIRST, Christ will give him all these: the "what we eat," and the "what we drink" and the "what we wear;" yes, and many other things–a hundredfold in this life.

2. If the sinner seeks the other things first, more than likely they will remain the "first things" during his whole life. He who puts the "earthly things" first, will doubtless, keep them first. He who refuses to give Christ the first place, the place He deserves and for which He asks, will be almost sure to give Him no place at all.

Oh the folly of becoming tied up with the things down here. The world will "pass away;" its glories are transient, vanishing things: the Kingdom of God will abide for ever; it holds all the things that abide.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR