Seek Ye First

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matthew 6:31-34

Is there something weighing on you today? Some trouble, pain, oppression, worry, or fear?  We know that we can cast our burdens unto the Lord, but how exactly do we do that?

Jesus said that those who keep their minds stayed [to lean upon, rest, sustain, refresh, revive] on Him will be in perfect peace [completeness, soundness, tranquility, contentment, safety].  Can you imagine that?  Perfect peace.  How many of us are walking in that?  Yet, it is a promise that He gives us...and that we can have realized in our lives.

Keeping our minds on Jesus requires that our eye be single.  This leaves little room for us to 'keep our eye' on our own situations.  Does this mean that we simply pretend that the issues we face don't exist?  No, but by taking our mind off of ourselves and putting it on God, we are demonstrating trust that He is working it out.  This in turn helps to feed our faith and steadfastness in Him. 

Satan uses every opportunity to sow doubt and worry by getting us to ponder the "what ifs", but he must first get our minds off of God to do this.  When he succeeds, it is easy to feel defeated, disempowered, and overwhelmed.

Remember God's promises to us and the armor He has given whereby we can stand victorious.  He is continually calling us to move away from a focus on that which is temporal and over into the realm of the Spirit, where every need is met.  We cannot walk by sight, but by faith.  Trust in the Lord and let Him fight your battles, for He is able.  Make entering into His peace your priority and I guarantee that He will give you rest, in spite of your situation.

The following message was sent out by JTL Ministries today, and I hope it encourages you.

The preoccupation with the physical [temporal] realm that many of My children hold to [in fear and unbelief] must stop. For if they continue to view [discern] things with their five physical senses they will lack the understanding that is necessary for them to align themselves with My Will and highest purpose in all things pertaining to their true Kingdom-position and destiny, in Christ.

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God" Colossians 3:1-3 NASB

'Therefore we do not become discouraged [utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear]. Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day. For our light, momentary affliction [this slight distress of the passing hour] is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!], Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal [brief and fleeting], but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 The Amplified Translation