First Things First #214

Matthew 6:33

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Is God your first consideration - your first loyalty?  Do you depend on Him to meet your needs and carry your load?  Preeminence means first place.  Jesus told the multitude on the Mount to quit worrying about their future, about clothing, food and the necessities of life.  To be anxious can never make us grow, nor meet our needs.

What is really first in your life?

The Apostle Paul said, “For me to live is Christ, but to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

To trust Christ for everything can bring real peace in your life.  Jesus knew our make-up and He knew that we would be seeking the wrong things first. It seems our human nature is to satisfy the selfish desires of our hearts rather than God’s Kingdom and His righteousness.

It is not that Jesus’ desire would be for us to be miserable, empty, and longing for life. He is very aware of what it takes to really receive those ‘other things.’ He simply says, “And all these things shall be added unto you.” Seek the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God and He will take care of the rest.

Maybe right now you are struggling with “things, stuff, longing for something to fill a hole, climbing the wrong pole, digging the wrong ditch, or desiring more in life than you currently have. It just could be you need a change of focus.

Philippians 3: 7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.

Just remember to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these other things will be added unto you. 

____________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in beautiful Tempe, AZ

God desires today for you to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. He wants you to trust Him, submit to Him and depend on Him for everything. It is such a wonderful place of peace to have God as your Savior, Lord and Life. Tell Him today how much He means to you. 

This has been a wild week. I missed preaching last week because of the surgical procedure. (Cholangiogram and ERCP) The procedure went well, but of course my body seems to enjoy infections and so I developed cholangiolitis. That required staying in the hospital and extra two days. I still am treating the infection and still have pain. It seems the fever is finally letting up. The am missing preaching again this week due to the pain and weakness. It has been a long time since I have turned down an opportunity to preach. The procedure brought all the liver function blood levels back into the normal levels. I do have a liver tube now and will have it only another week or so. 

The real test of the procedure will not be known until the tube comes out. I met Wednesday with the oncologist. He had been out of town when I received all my lab results and MRI results. The other doctors had emailed him all the results. He told me Wednesday that by looking at them he expected to return home and put me in hospice. Because the procedure went so well he was relieved. He also concluded from the reports that my liver was filled with tumors; some have even metastasized to the pericardial and abdominal fat. There is a new chemo out that could be used but the oncologist said he would not want me to use it. His words were, "It would kill you." So I wait a couple of months and recheck everything. 

NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM REQUESTING YOUR PRAYERS. 

Sandy and I celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary on Tuesday. I was feeling so badly that we only went to the food court in the mall and Sandy had a sandwich and I managed a mini blizzard at DQ. Wow! What a romantic evening. We plan to really celebrate after I get better. 

Our grandsons are in three separate bands. We got their schedules for concerts. I believe Sandy and I will be spending a great deal of time in steel chairs. We so enjoy watching the boys perform that it is worth it. 

Our son-in-law John bought a new four door truck this week. Johnny loves it. He can sit in the back seat and see out. He likes it so well he woke up Tuesday morning at 6:15 AM, grabbed his shoes, and went to the door ready to go on a ride. There is something about boys and their toys. 

Sandy began her weekly Bible Study class on Tuesday morning at First Baptist Church. She is pleased with the response of the ladies. Pray for Sandy. 

God is so good to see us through all our trials. He is gracious to give us strength, courage, and hope. Praise Him today with all your heart. 

Thanks for your prayers, concern and support. Pray that I will again be able to get back to preaching God's word. God Bless you and may "joy come in the morning."  ~ DGW