Focus: Matthew 6:33 - KJV
33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 5:6-20
Peter was a very vocal and highly boisterous disciple of Jesus Christ. He was taken from a fleshly pursuit of things that do not last and redirected to kingdom pursuit which was to dovetail into righteousness and gain for him. But along the line, he got deceived and misdirected to deny his Lord. That was a separation from being under the shadow of His maker. The denial came out of the will of the enemy to sift him like wheat and he got caught in that web. Denying Christ is a means of unwinding kingdom benefits. Hence, the one who was to become a fisher of men after leaving the cover of his maker, returned to his vomit of wanting to be a fisherman. Not only did he so slide backwards, he drew many others with himself who, with him, carried the promise of becoming fishers of men. Incidentally, in their vain pursuit, they still caught nothing.
A wise man once said when we pursue money instead of God, it runs away from us. The mind of God is that we do His own first and other things which the heathen pursue ordinarily, would come freely to us of their own accord. The widow of Zarephath did God’s own first by feeding Elijah and her food that was about to be extinguished never finished for a long while after. To pursue the kingdom is to seek righteousness particularly by following the leading of Christ in the beatitudes. Let us therefore hunger and thirst after righteousness by being merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers and full of joy when people revile us for righteousness’ sake, persecute us and say all manner of evil against us. This credential makes us blessed with great reward in heaven and superb gain even on earth. It is those whose righteousness exceeds that of hypocrites that fulfils the mind of God and have clear visa into heaven.
The Lord is urging us to make blessedness our pursuit by ensuring we live in righteousness and love with all around us. It is a good thing to have a job and a calling. Nevertheless, let not the job or calling take the kingdom and its pursuit out of your heart. In fact, it is when we focus first on the kingdom that the job and or calling come easy. Peter was an expert fisherman but the job became laborious unto him that he became frustrated in it. For all the time he pursued the kingdom, he lacked nothing good. Even when he had to pay tax, money came to him from the mouth of the fish. That a believer should be lazy and be looking for coin from the mouth of the fish? Far from it. The blessings of the Lord locate those who are in kingdom pursuit effortlessly. It makes rich and adds no sorrow.
SOLUTION: Put God and His kingdom first in all your doing. In relating with fellow men, be righteous. Do not allow the lust for anything overtake your love for and prioritizing kingdom matters. The Lord is at hand.
Please pray:
· Give God thanks for showing you the example of righteousness and kingdom pursuit
· Ask God to please by His Spirit keep your focus on Himself and His kingdom
· Whatever it is that is militating against your thirst and hunger for righteousness, ask the Lord to separate you from it
· Pray that by the blessings of God, all your needs will come seeking you of their own accord from today
· Please ask for your daily bread today
If you are blessed by this post, kindly share with your contacts, as well as others, that they may be blessed also. Thank you and may God bless you abundantly as you do so, in Jesus’ name.
Comments