DAY 16.
The sequel to our Old Testament study in Proverbs 3 v 6 is found in the New Testament in Matthew 6 v 33 'seek you first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these will be added unto you'.
Here we find the direction offered in Proverbs 3 v 6 to seek after the Lord with all of our heart soul and mind will bring us into direct communion with the Living God.
This is the source of all wisdom and should become the urgent desire of every Christian, it is the reason why so many lose heart and direction because they are resting in themselves rather than in the Lord.
Look again at what the Master is saying to us ' seek first' not at our convenience nor when we feel like it but it should be our priority to 'seek first' the Lord.
'Seek' points to the paramount importance placed on seeking the Lord on every issue that we face anything less is seen as an affront to the Lord.
To seek is to search out the truth without hesitation, because it brings out righteousness in us as well as to us as a result.
To 'seek' to know the mind and will of God takes time and is in opposition to our up and go attitude in life all the time.
We spend little time alone with the Lord and He does not force His will on anyone of us but consistently seeks to guide us on the way that brings us closer to Him.
Now here the Master is seeking to bring His disciples out of the old way of living into the new one that they were to know experimentally after the Resurrection and Pentecost.
They too were going to walk by faith along the path of righteousness and that was going to lead through dark passages of trial and tribulation.
They to were to face the unknown very shortly after receiving these instruction from the Lord and they were allowed so as to keep their heart and mind seeking the Lord.
When was the last time we were brought into a straightened situation and we quickly sought to know from our precious Saviour the way ahead?
In times of crisis maybe but what about brining the routine of life under the spotlight of Gods word to see what He is seeking to show or reveal to us.
For many Christians their life has become a normal run of the mill one, nothing happening in it that brings us closer to the Lord.
We are wrestling with the issues of life and not making a very good job of it, in truth we are not expecting the Lord to come sand help us in the daily routine.
That is the reason why so many are not going to church regularly any more because church mirrors life in general 'boredom'.
The Lord Jesus would have us know that the Christian life is a dynamic life that affects every part of us, so that we can enjoy the new life and not endure it.
We note here in Matthew 6 that the Master is talking about the ordinary issues of life, food, water, clothes and the like, the issues that wind us up so quickly when they are not easily gained by us.
We still like our independence, we still like to think that we are providing for ourselves when in truth we should be praying 'all I have needed thy hand has provided'.
Then we can look at the pressures that many are facing daily through the work place, we find ourselves struggling through under greater stress and strain.
We do not give ourselves time to rest in the presence of the Living God, we are on the go all the time when He is inviting us to come to Him and rest awhile.
How many Christians are found seeking medical help first and foremost, giving little thought to the Lord who is seeking our attention to reveal things to us.
Many a child of God has come into a much deeper spiritual life through some infirmity and end up praising God for the situations that He has brought them through.
When we step back from the rush and bustle of life we can find some wonderful truths revealed by the Lord in His word, promises that will transform our thinking and living.
Can we not see that the enemy of our souls is desperate to keep us active so that these promises may remain dormant on the sacred page?
Satan will keep us doing almost anything but studying the word of God and seeking 'first the kingdom of God and His righteousness' because it nullifies his work.
It is of paramount importance to the Christian then to get alone in the quiet place and spend time reading and studying the word so as to draw closer to Christ.
It should be our daily task to make certain that the Lord is going with us into the day, to enjoy the knowledge of His abiding presence with us.
Then there is a further thought on seeking the Lord and His righteousness, it the burden that He places on us to share the good news with others.
The Gospel message is a world wide one and multitudes of folk are relying on us to do our part in enabling them to hear the gospel and then live in the light of it.
How much time do we spend praying for the folk around us let alone for the souls of folk around the world, we do not spend anywhere near the time praying that we do on pleasures.
There seems to be little burden except when some catastrophe hits the world, a war brings out the thrifty spirit and we empty our drawers and cupboards of things we do not want.
We pray a while for the troubled and suffering folk but they soon get forgotten when some thing else comes on the scene.
We do not spend time in prayer before the Throne of God seeking to know Gods mind and will on issues as the early Church used to do.
Now this is tough but then our heavenly Father is looking for tough disciples, who go to the Throne with their needs and find them answered as a promise.
I am sure the Lord is longing for His people to wake up from their spiritual sleep and return to conversing with Him, that they may know the acceptable will of God in all things.
The promise here in Matthew 6 v 33 is for us to appropriate personally in daily issues as well as in the fellowship for practical guidance.
How many fellowships have witnessed splits in recent years all in the name of the Lord but how many of those fellowships have spent time together before the Throne of Grace.
Bending before the Throne in repentance and then submission to the Lord for His will to be known and done as a result?
In the next chapter v 7 we are given three words that bring the promises into full view 'ask', then 'seek' and finally 'knock' three simple words but oh the depth of thought that comes with them.
To 'ask' of God to fulfil the promise given in His word in us, this points to a simple request that as we are obedient to the conditions He will surely do it for us.
The 'seek' comes to us clearly, putting everything else aside we seek to know the plan and purposes of God through it being given to us before receiving it.
Then to 'knock' is to present our claim to the promise that He has made to us being fulfilled in us and through us will come righteous living as a result.
We do not go to the Lord arrogantly claiming the promise but rather as humbled souls with needs that only our heavenly Father can and will meet.
It is here that the scripture comes alive to us, 'I will guide thee with my eye' says our Father
Psalm 32 v 8 and we must live close to some one for us to guided by the eye.
This points to our walking close to Him through out the day so that our lives transmit that holy walk to the world that is looking on.
