Devotion for July 27, 2021

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

Some people think that God’s sole purpose is to save their soul, help them become as morally upright and as spiritually mature as possible, and one day take them to heaven to live with Him. And in a sense that’s true. But here’s what isn’t true — that God is not interested in your job, your health, your relationships, your finances, or your dreams and goals because somehow those things are carnal, worldly, and temporal. When you think like that, you “spiritualize” every promise you read in Scripture, and when you pray, you believe the only thing God wants to do is help you become more spiritual. Let’s look into the Scriptures and see what God really says about this.

The truth is, in fact, the exact opposite (see Joshua 1:8; Isaiah 48:17; 3 John 2). By maintaining that God plays no part in your achieving career success or financial security, you’re contradicting His Word. And when you do that, you’re on dangerous ground, because you’re making yourself the sole source of your success, and the Bible calls that — pride! What Jesus taught is this: “Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles [who do not serve God] seek … For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:31-33).

So let’s be clear: God wants you to succeed in life for the right reasons, and He wants you to have all the things you need to do it.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for being concerned about all the areas of my life and wanting to help me be all You created me to be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Stay encouraged!

Pastor Mike

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