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Seeking the Kingdom of God

Today, people everywhere are looking forward to the New Year. Some will look at the upcoming future with hope and great anticipation. Others may look at the New Year with fear and uncertainty. If our desire is to take the optimistic approach, we would do well to heed the words of Jesus. He said, “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Luke 12:31)

In context, Jesus was teaching the people not to be anxious about the future. He said that the unbeliever worries about what they are going to eat, or drink, or what they will wear. Jesus assures us that if we seek the kingdom of God first, we will not be anxious about such things.

In fact, David declared, “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendant begging bread.” (Psalms 37:25). The question is, “How do we ensure we are seeking the kingdom of God first?”

We accomplish this first by keeping our service and devotion to God as our top priority in life. There are going to be times in our lives where a choice must be made between pleasing God, or pleasing self. There will be opportunities to forsake the assembly, or distractions from our time of prayer and reading of the word of God. If during these times we maintain God as our top priority, then we are seeking His kingdom first.

There are still other times when we will be confronted by temptation. We are all tempted by different things. The devil knows where we are weak. He is always seeking opportunity to lead us into doing what we know is wrong. Peter rightly stated, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1Peter 5:8)

It is equally true that we always have a way to resist temptation. Paul wrote, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1Corinthians 10:13).

Today, as we face an uncertain future, we do so with faith and confidence. We know that whatever comes our way, we will not face it alone. When we are seeking the kingdom of God first, we have God as our Supreme Advocate. He will not leave us, nor forsake us. Everyday, He blesses us over and over again!

Therefore, let us look to this New Year with joy and great anticipation. As the song says, while we do not know what the future holds, we do know who holds the future!

God Bless each of you,

Eric Hicks

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