Bible League: Living His Word "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."— Luke 12:31 NKJV What comes first for you — the kingdom of God, or stuff? What comes first — food, drink, and clothing, or the kingdom of God? The questions concern the spiritual direction of your life. Spiritually, are you living a life of the kingdom, or are you living a life of your own choosing? Spiritually, are you living a life of surrender to the will of the heavenly king and His kingdom, or are you living a selfish and self-centered life? It's important to know the answers to these questions, as they reveal your heart and explain a lot about yourself. On the one hand, if you live a selfish and self-centered life, then you will tend to worry about food, drink, clothing, and all the other stuff people need to live their lives. You will worry, because acquiring these things is all up to you. Will you be able to find it? If you find it, will you be able to acquire it? Who knows? It's up to you, and you better get out there and get the job done. Failure is not an option. Anxiety motivates you. On the other hand, if you live a life of surrender to the heavenly king, then you will tend not to worry about the stuff you need. Since you've decided to place the kingdom first, the heavenly Father provides the stuff you need. You don't have to worry about it. That doesn't mean that you don't have to go out and get it, it just means that you don't have to worry about it. The heavenly Father is on the job, and He is helping you. Instead of worry, there is faith in the Father. The difference between the two spiritual directions, then, is not between those that need stuff and those that don't, or between those that get stuff and those that don't. We all need stuff. The difference is between those who place themselves and their needs first and those who place the kingdom and its requirements first. The difference is between those that worry about stuff and those that rest on God's promises. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingIsaiah 34, 35, 36 Isaiah 34 -- God's Judgments against the Nations NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Isaiah 35 -- The Joyful Will Flourish in Zion NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Isaiah 36 -- Sennacherib Invades Judah, Threatens Jerusalem NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Philippians 2 Philippians 2 -- Your Attitude Should be that of Christ; Becoming Blameless and Pure; Timothy and Epaphroditus NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches. Insight The Corinthian believers excelled in everything they had—faith, good preaching (speech), much knowledge, much earnestness, much love. Paul wanted them to also be leaders in giving. Giving is a natural response of love. Paul did not order the Corinthians to give, but he encouraged them to prove that their love was sincere. Challenge When you love someone, you want to give him or her your time and attention and to provide for his or her needs. If you refuse to help, your love is not as genuine as you say. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Numbers 12:1 He had married an Ethiopian woman.Strange choice of Moses, but how much more strange the choice of him who is a prophet like unto Moses, and greater than he! Our Lord, who is fair as the lily, has entered into marriage union with one who confesses herself to be black, because the sun has looked upon her. It is the wonder of angels that the love of Jesus should be set upon poor, lost, guilty men. Each believer must, when filled with a sense of Jesus' love, be also overwhelmed with astonishment that such love should be lavished on an object so utterly unworthy of it. Knowing as we do our secret guiltiness, unfaithfulness, and black-heartedness, we are dissolved in grateful admiration of the matchless freeness and sovereignty of grace. Jesus must have found the cause of his love in his own heart, he could not have found it in us, for it is not there. Even since our conversion we have been black, though grace has made us comely. Holy Rutherford said of himself what we must each subscribe to--"His relation to me is, that I am sick, and he is the Physician of whom I stand in need. Alas! how often I play fast and loose with Christ! He bindeth, I loose; he buildeth, I cast down; I quarrel with Christ, and he agreeth with me twenty times a day!" Most tender and faithful Husband of our souls, pursue thy gracious work of conforming us to thine image, till thou shalt present even us poor Ethiopians unto thyself, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. Moses met with opposition because of his marriage, and both himself and his spouse were the subjects of an evil eye. Can we wonder if this vain world opposes Jesus and his spouse, and especially when great sinners are converted? for this is ever the Pharisee's ground of objection, "This man receiveth sinners." Still is the old cause of quarrel revived, "Because he had married an Ethiopian woman." Daily Light on the Daily Path 1 Samuel 3:17 He said, "What is the word that He spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the words that He spoke to you."Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God? Deuteronomy 10:13 and to keep the LORD'S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? Galatians 3:10,11,19 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM." • Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." • Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. Hebrews 1:1,2 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, • in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 1 Samuel 3:9 And Eli said to Samuel, "Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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