The Kingdom of God–the Best Deal in Town

February 15, 2019 · by Peter Lundell · in Connections

One cold day by the ocean, I was seeking God’s direction, and I felt distinctly prompted to relinquish all the goals I had at the time. Ahhh!!!

In their place—and I am convinced the Holy Spirit was doing this because it was so clear and against my will—I was to “do the Matthew 6:33 thing.” That reads: “Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

So above everything else, I am—and we are—are to seek God’s heavenly reign as it comes to earth here and now. And we are to seek a redeemed and right relationship with God. God’s view is that everything else is to be secondary because God will provide.

Works great for lip service, but in reality? Hmmm… We say we want to put God first, but we love our stuff, and we like to get our way.

Of all the themes in the Bible, the Kingdom of God is the most central. It takes form in the Old Testament, explodes through Christ on almost every page of the gospels, and is carried on through the message and mission of Paul and other New Testament authors to culminate in the Book of Revelation.

When we seek his kingdom and righteousness first, it means that we prioritize God’s purpose and relationship with us above all things. But if you think about God’s promise attached to that, you’ll realize something unexpected: It’s the best deal in town. He promises to provide for our needs in return. We can’t lose. He doesn’t promise to fulfill all our wants—but frankly, that’s often a good thing.

Is there an area in your life that in a pragmatic or tangible way, you could put second to, or under, God’s kingdom and righteousness as you seek Him first? Would you? Imagine what could happen…