SEEK GOD FIRST

In all things, seek God. In joy and sorrow, in happiness and sadness, in trials and in smooth sailing, seek God, feast or famine, abundance or need, seek God. What does that look like? Seeking God. Well, it looks so much different than the world we all live in. It looks so much different than what we see all around us every day, compromise, justification, turning a blind eye to the truth, ignoring God and fitting into the world. If the world cannot tell we are Christian, then we are not. In all situations we have a God that cares and supplies all our needs. We need to acknowledge Him and praise him in ALL things.

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15

I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. Psalm 86:12

What are the Gods of our fathers? What are our Gods? Big house, fancy car, swimming pool? Keeping up with the Jones', alcohol, violence, sex, lies, stealing, spending on luxuries, living beyond our means, our family, friends? What is it that we put before God? What is it that we must crucify at the cross? Choose God or the devil, serve God or the world. Simple. We must get our priorities straight.

There is a picture of God and me i like to think on. It is one of the master and the slave. Not a popular image today, in a world where ME FIRST is king, not God. But for God's people this OT image fits so well. Think about the slave, what is his only concern? His only concern is to do the will of the master. He cannot turn right or left, or wander away, he must go where he is told and do what he is told. His choices are all made for him. It is a Narrow Way. The concern of the Master on the other hand is to see his slave lives another day to do his will, to clothe, feed and house him. To supply all the slave needs to do his master's will. Seek God first.

Think about our relationship to God. i believe that God gives the best to those who leave the choices to Him. Once we are saved, bought and paid for by the Blood of the Lamb believers, we are His, forever. God knows ALL, sees ALL and he knows and sees it all right NOW, His plan and timing are perfect, ours is not. Why would we not give him control in our lives? Why would we not want what is best for us and our families? Only because the world and the prince thereof has convinced us otherwise, that we know best and not God, and that is so far from the truth of God. Believing the world is believing the devil and an attack on God's character.

"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:14

" 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." Matthew 6:33-34

There is another picture i like to look at about being the free bond servant (Doulos) to God, to Christ Jesus. It portrays a choice to serve and is what we are all faced with today. Do we seek God first, and choose to serve God first, and love him first with all our hearts and souls, mind and strength? Because ultimately where we spend eternity is about who we seek first today.

"And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever." Exodus 21:5-6

"And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." Luke 10;27

The Word of God is such a gift to us, it is His living word for our lives. Old Testament and New Testament have such a depth of riches that in a lifetime we can barely scratch the surface. i do not understand why every Christian, or professed Christian, is not digging into the word and living it. Seeking first God's will for their very next breath. Why is it that pleasing the world has become the norm, adjusting to the darkness of it, justifying the sin of it, living in it and being part of it instead of living for God. Seek God. Live move and have your being in Him. Do not be a part of the world. The world is full of evil and we must be in it but not of it. We must know God and walk with Him. The World will pass away but God and His Word is forever. Seek God now while he can still be found.

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." 1 John 2:16-17

"The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts." Psalm 10:4

Seeking God means for all eternity, God is the head, God will lead and take care of us. In all our desires we turn them over to God, we believe God and obey him alone. We have faith. We seek God in ALL our problems and God alone humbles and exalts. We are to be cut off from all other help but his, all other teachers but Him alone. Right now that means getting into the Word of God and applying it to our lives daily. It means prayer and seeking out true teachers of the word to help us to dig deeper. Each of us will stand alone before God one day, how we live now has everything to do with how we are judged on the Day of the Lord. Believe it, it is true.

"But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul." Deuteronomy 4:29

"The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God." Psalm 69:32

"The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day." Isaiah 2:11

"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." Matthew 23:12

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:" 1 Peter 5:6

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." 2 Peter 2:1

SEEK GOD FIRST...AMEN