All posts by Seek Ye First the Kingdom

Imperfect Information

One of the necessities of life is making decisions with incomplete and imperfect information. “Do I buy the non-refundable airline tickets for the trip 6 months from now?” “Do I take the new job, or stay where I am?” “What curriculum should I choose?” “What college should I choose?” The problem with making these decisions is that we fear that we might learn something along the way that would have changed our decision.

Paul writes about this as it applies to our Christian life in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”

We may not have the complete picture in order to make the perfect decision every time, but God does. Paul finishes this, well known, text in verse 13 with, “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” So if we put our faith and hope in God’s guidance and live in love for him and our neighbor, he will be there for us, and guide us on our journey through life.

Dear Lord, you know everything, our every thought, our secret hopes and dreams, and you have plans for each of us. Help us remember to trust your guidance to make decisions and take actions boldly, knowing that if we do things in obedience to you with love for others, you will protect and support us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

What Does It Mean To Be Righteous?

I like to read Proverbs. It is full of life lessons and guidance. Many of the passages refer to being “Righteous.” For example,…the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous…the Lord delivers them from their troubles…the righteous will inherit the land….the mouths of the righteous utter wisdom….

So what is meant by “the Righteous?” In worldly terms, righteous means “good conduct” or “virtuous”

In the Bible, the apostle Paul clarifies God’s meaning of “righteous” in Romans 1:17 “For in the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last. As it is written “the righteous will live by faith”. NIV

The answer to the question “What is meant by righteous?” is, We are righteous by faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ who saved us. Faith in this Gospel is what makes us righteous, not our good behavior or virtue.

Dear Lord, Thank you that we know that we are righteous, right with You, through our faith in Your gift of Salvation. Help us live by faith to do Your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our Help

Throughout history, there have been people who have made incredible contributions to all of us. Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Jonas Salk, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and many others. However, their contributions are insignificant compared to the actual creation of the universe.

Psalm 124:8 says, “Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

The Psalm sounds so simple and understated, but God created all the intricacies of science and biology as well as the vastness and majesty of the universe, and the psalm says he is our “help.”

Do you think there is anything God cannot do?

Simple little verse tells us that the incredible power of the creator of everything is there for us.

Dear Lord, we cannot begin to comprehend your power. Help us remember you are there for us, which unlimited capability to do anything; and help us remember to ask for the help you promise. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Fullness Of Joy

Is there someone and someplace that just makes you happy even thinking about. For example, walking on the beach with your spouse, playing games around the table with your children, playing with your grandchildren, spending time with your friends, or even playing with your dog or cat. Just being around them brings you a feeling of joy.

In a similar way, Psalm 16:11 says about God, “… in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” When we can truly experience God’s presence in our lives, we can feel the peace and joy that He promises. In order to get closer to God’s presence, we do like James writes in 4:8 “Draw closer to God and he will draw closer to you.”

Dear Lord help us do those things that draw us closer to you, reading your word and putting it into practice, that we may experience the fullness of joy you promise. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

Humility

One of CS Lewis’ great quotes is, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.” This is an insightful way to look at humility, without tearing ourselves down.

Paul tells us in Philipians 2:3-5, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.
Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” he goes on to tell us in verses 8-9, “He [Jesus] humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names.”

If we are like Jesus, we put our focus outside of ourselves, on serving others, and God will do the work of watching out for and taking care of us.

Dear Lord, Thank you for Jesus’ perfect example of a life of service to others. Like Jesus, who rose in glory after humble service, we too know we don’t have to selfishly promote ourselves, because you will watch over us while we serve others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.