SUM 11: Day 28

Matthew 6:33

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously and He will give you everything you need. (NLT) This verse is just one verse from Jesus’ amazing Sermon on the Mount teaching. In the versus preceding this one, Jesus teaches that we should not worry about money and possessions because He promises to supply all our needs. In the midst of His teaching, Jesus challenged His listeners with the question, “Why do you have so little faith?”

We are not all that different than Jesus’ first century audience. It is easy to find
our faith slipping, but notice what Jesus says in verse 33. He gives us two direct
imperatives: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else” and “Live righteously.” Before you move on, reflect on what Jesus is saying in these two imperatives. Ask yourself the following questions during your reflection:

What does it mean to “seek the Kingdom of God above all else”?
Do you think there is any significance in the order of these imperatives?

The challenge of today’s devotion is to avoid compartmentalizing our faith. In other words, our faith needs to be who we are, not just part of who we are. Stop for a minute and reflect on that statement; there is a big difference between the two descriptions.

Jesus gave us the formula for making our faith who we are. Jesus told us to seek the Kingdom of God above everything else; then He commanded we live righteously. We stand a chance to do just that if we focus on putting Jesus above everything else!
Can you see the transformation formula? If our faith is to become who we are rather than just part of who we are, our priorities must always be on the Kingdom of Jesus.

Pray: Are you trusting God in every area of your life? Pray today that you will allow God to be in charge and that you will seek Him first.

Do: Take some time to think about the things you are seeking. What are your priorities? Are you seeking Christ first and allowing Him to be the center of all you do?