by Elizabeth Haarberg

Seeking God’s Kingdom

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

If you’re someone who gets asked for advice, how do you respond? Sometimes the answer is easy; other times it’s a mystery. So what do you say when you don’t know?

“…seek first the kingdom of God…”
Matthew 6:33

My favorite answer is, “seek first the kingdom.” Before we get our hearts, minds, and opinions in the way, get God involved.

Jesus took his own advice. He only did what He saw His Father do.

“…the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.”
John 5:19

So how do we know what to do and how to help others? First of all, seek the Kingdom. Secondly, only do what God does. Pretty easy advice to receive…if we have a relationship with God.

It may feel like a cop-out, but seeking God’s opinion first before others is necessary at times.

Let’s look at Pentecost; it was chaos!

“And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others mocking said, ‘They are filled with new wine.'”
Acts 2:12-13

Everyone was amazed, but they wanted to know what the people around them thought instead of seeking the kingdom first.

We can dismiss a move of God or a relationship or an event if we don’t stay open to what God is doing. It’s easy for us to read the Bible and be critical of those who didn’t believe what God was doing then, but would we?

I can’t say that I only want to be in the will of God and then close my heart and mind when He decides to do something that challenges me.

There’s more to this life than what we see with our physical eyes. His kingdom is at hand.

How do we seek the kingdom first? Read the Bible and soak in the reality that God is the same yesterday, today and always. Pray, worship and cry out to God. He is always knocking; He’s just waiting for us to answer.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado