Today's Readings:
Genesis 23-24 &
Matthew 7
Key Verses: Matthew 6:33, 7:24-27
Matthew is the book...and it just keeps getting better. 7:7-8 tells us that the one who seeks after God will find good things. 7:12 gives us the "Golden Rule." How do I choose a key verse amongst all these?...they are all so good. I chose today to settle on Matthew 6:33 (since I didn't write anything yesterday) and Matthew 7:24-27.
When I was 28, I was in a Bible Study with a few friends of mine. One night we all spent about 20 minutes alone with God. We searched our Bibles for verses that we could take with us each day. Verses we could memorize and try to live out. It was that night I read these words found in Philippians 4:6-7 "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." These words, written by Paul, are obviously inspired by the words of Jesus himself found in Matthew 6:25-33.
Jesus is talking about why we should not worry or be anxious. That God is good and He loves us more than we can possibly imagine. And then, in Matthew 6:33 Jesus speaks these words that ring as true today as they did 2,000 years ago.
"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
The lesson here is clear. When we seek God first in all things, when we look to Him first for wisdom and knowledge. When seek to bring Him glory at all times...God will provide everything we need. Not everything we want, but all we need. What a tremendous promise and source of joy...and it is true. When I seek myself or other things first in life, life lacks all joy and peace. But when I seek Him first...peace and a joy no circumstance can take from me :-)
In many ways this concept is echoed again in Matthew 7:24-27. It asks us to look and think about what we build our lives upon. What truths, ideas, and realities we base our daily lives upon will determine everything. In Epic Jv (my middle school group) we have been learning about the book of Haggai found in the Old Testament. It is a book that asks us to look at our lives and our priorities. "Consider your ways" are the words God speaks through Haggai.
"Take a good, hard look at your life.
Think it over."
As we start this new year, it is a great time to look at our lives and examine what we put importance on. What is our life built upon? Where do we go for wisdom? Where have we placed our hope?
Continue reading with me this year....you won't regret it.
Read Genesis 22...I have really reading the Old Testament and seeing God tell His story through the lives of people who are...well, a lot like us.
Tomorrow's Reading: Matthew 8:1-17 & Genesis 25-26
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