Seek Him First

In Matthew 6, Jesus taught his disciples about the cure for anxiety. He taught them not to worry about food, clothes or drink. He said that life is worth more than food and the body more than clothes to wear. Earlier in Matthew 4:4, when the devil tempted Jesus to turn stone into bread, he quoted a scripture from Deuteronomy 8:3, about not living by bread alone. In the text, Moses was speaking to the children of Isreal and reminded them of all that God had done for them. He was saying that God humbled them by letting them go hungry, to teach them that they should not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. He also reminded them that during the forty years in the wilderness, their clothes didn’t wear out, neither did their feet become swollen. God preserved them in the wilderness and promised to take them into a place of abundance. Moses cautioned them not to forget about God, once they started to prosper and think that their own power made them wealthy.

“You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 8:18). Jesus was quoting from Moses’s teachings to encourage his disciples against worrying. He reminded them of how God takes care of the birds, who don’t toil and dresses the flowers who don’t labour. He spoke of the futility of worry, which did not solve anything or add anything of value. Jesus mentioned that God also cares about even the grass which has a short life span. That means that we don’t have a reason to worry, since God already knows what we need before we need it. The opposite of worry is seeking after the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Once we seek him, then all of our needs will be met.

Seeking God, his kingdom and righteousness requires a hunger and passion for God. In Jeremiah 29, he wrote a letter to the captives in Babylon, about God’s instructions to his people. They were to build houses and live in and pray for the welfare of the city where they were living. Jeremiah also told the people that after seventy years, God would restore them. The people would cry out to God and pray to him and he would hear them. “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). God promised that as they sought after him, they would find him and not only find him, but he would restore their wealth and gather them back from the nations where he had scattered them. Before the captivity, God knew that the people’s hearts were far away from him and their desires were after their wealth and idols.

Captivity was a time when the people were hungry and desperate for God, because they desired to be rescued. Nevertheless, there was a set time for their deliverance, because God knew how long it would take before their hearts were turned back towards him. It’s sad how Isreal’s backsliding happened when they had wealth and prosperity and they hungered for God when they were in distress. God is after our hearts and a pure desire to be close to him and to know him. We were created for a purpose, to establish the kingdom of God. Whatever we do on earth is fleeting and only what we do for God will have significance in eternity. The work that we do for God, to win the lost and dying and to further the gospel, is of significance to God. Many people come to God with many words and actions, but their hearts are far away from him. God’s word is a promise, that when we seek him, he will meet our needs.

A.P.-Y.