Dave’s Monday Blast – August 19, 2019
In an effort to be obedient to Jesus’ command recorded for us in Matthew 6:33 to “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…”, we must take advantage of the blue print the Lord left for us in His Word. Sound Biblical principles are provided and modeled throughout His Word. I am grateful that our loving Heavenly Father NEVER expects us to DO… without first equipping us to BE. Over the last three weeks we have been sharing these principles:
So far:
1. Humility and Fasting (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5)
2. Fervent and Frequent Prayer (Colossians 4:12&13)
3. Taking in the Word (Deuteronomy 6:4; Joshua 1:8)
4. Repentance (Luke 15:10)
For this week:
5. Obedience: The flip side to repentance is obedience, and authentic repentance always leads to obedience. Repentance is looking to the past concerning sins and acknowledging what needs to be brought before God. Obedience is daily walking in holiness and surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord. God delights and draws close to those who live righteous lives.
Bottom Line:
Obey all the Lord’s commands including the command to love Him with your whole heart and to love others as well. Resolve to live a righteous life. Be generous with your Time-Talents-Treasures; maintain sexual integrity and follow the admonition of James 1:27.
6. Perseverance: Seeking God is a way of life and not something solely to be done in times of desperate need. God’s presence and favor is definitely worth pursuing diligently year in and year out. It is extraordinary to notice the hard work and diligence that some apply to various aspects of their lives, be it education, athletics or a hobby. In season and out of season, many Christians faithfully and diligently work hard to be better educated or skilled in athletics or a musical instrument. However, many of these same Christians exhibit extraordinary low prioritization of their walk with Jesus Christ, and then wonder why they do not have the Lord’s presence and power in their lives. We read in 1 Timothy 4:8, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Notice too the single-minded zeal of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:12-14.
Bottom Line:
Be focused and diligent in your seeking after God. Persevere in your pursuit of God, month after month, year after year.
Finishing up next week with the last principle…we must be INTENTIONAL about COMMUNITY!
