“…seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 contain a summary of the teachings and ethics of Jesus on how to live based on the law of love, even of your enemies, and not the old law of retribution.
Matthew 5 begins with the Beatitudes… “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” He highlights eight more “blessing” scriptures before He continues to cover a large range of topics and circumstances, including anger, lust, divorce, giving to the needy, how to pray (the Lord’s Prayer), fasting, judging, asking God, the Golden Rule, building your house on a firm foundation – the Rock. These are some of the life foundations Jesus explains. There are many other subjects detailed in His teaching.
Matthew 6:33 is of huge importance because Jesus tells us that if we seek God and His way, we will know how to have the best relationships with others and what to do in the varying situations of life – good and bad.
Paul describes our Lord in 2 Corinthians 1:3, as “the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.” We do not need to be anxious about anything. Life will confront us with difficulties that cause us to experience fear, anger, uncertainty, or something else. We need to recall Jesus’ promise and command to us to go to Him and wait on His wisdom through the Holy Spirit. We can then rest knowing the best possible source will guide us to help us in our time of need.
There are daily reminders in the news and social media about a range of events and people’s behavior that are difficult to understand. In addition to this, the “news” is often slanted to fill a particular narrative. While it is in our interests to keep informed as best we can, we must keep Jesus in His rightful place as our King and Father. The principles of His teaching are unchanging and dependable. He gave these lessons to benefit us.
Lord, we want to focus on the wisdom You imparted in Your teachings. Help us wait on You when we are unsure what to do, rather than strike out on our own in a moment of haste. We are excited and confident that your teaching makes the path to the Good Life possible.
We praise You! We worship You! We are grateful and thankful, Jesus. Amen.