Today’s Devotional is from Rizeup.us by Marc Koch.
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else . . .”
– Matthew 6:33 (NLT)
We’ve established that we’ve been created to communicate, to interact, and to engage in relationship. God has pre-programmed us with this disposition to relate, and we’re obedient to it without even thinking about it.
But not all relationships are equally beneficial for us. Some are bad, some are good, some are better, and one is best. And if a person is truly wise, he will make it his priority to pursue that one relationship that’s best for him. So which relationship is best? As the title indicates, the vertical (God) is greater than the horizontal (others). Yes, the greatest relationship that a human being can ever experience is a relationship with God.
Think it through: Humanity is a fallen race, a sinful breed, a tainted product (Romans 5:12). No matter how kind, patient, noble, or forgiving people are, it doesn’t erase the fact that sin dwells within them. At some point it will come out. There can never be a perfect relationship with another human being because all human beings are imperfect.
Then there’s God, who is perfect in all His ways and in whom there is no sin at all (Deuteronomy 32:4, Habakkuk 1:13). Everything about God is superior to us in every way, and a relationship with Him is superior to a relationship with anyone else. It will never repay us with sin, but will only yield goodness and love. It’s the best relationship we can ever have, and so it’s the relationship that we should seek above all else.
If we don’t, we’re setting ourselves up for sorrow and disappointment because we’re pursuing something sinful and imperfect. But when God is first, we start from a point of perfection, which makes it possible for us to order and manage the imperfect relationships in life.
We’ve been created to communicate and relate, and the greatest relationship possible is a relationship with God.
Dig into Matthew 6:33. Why did Jesus give this simple command? Why is this difficult for you to obey? How could you begin to live this verse out in a practical way?
Decide today to pray for those who don’t have this relationship with God. Ask God for His saving grace to reach those friends who need Jesus.
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Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
May God bless you!
myBlessedHope 