First Things First

"Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven."

— Matthew 6:10

 

A verse every Christian should commit to memory is Matthew 6:33: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

What does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God? God's kingdom is the rule and reign of Christ in our lives. Jesus taught us to pray, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). This is praying for a day when God will bring heaven to earth and will bring His rule on this planet. God still has a plan for planet Earth. He will rule and reign here, and as believers, we will rule and reign with Him. So that is in the future.

But when we pray, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven," we are also praying for the rule and reign of the kingdom of God in our lives. This is when Jesus is in charge. On one occasion Jesus said, "For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21), where He was speaking of himself. When you are under His lordship, and when He is in control of your life, that is the kingdom of God. It is not rules and regulations, but "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17).

Mastered by Your Circumstances?

"Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"

— Matthew 6:30

 

Martin Lloyd Jones said, "To be of little faith means we are mastered by our circumstances instead of mastering them." Worry is an indication of a lack of faith.

Jesus said, "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" (Matthew 6:30). Jesus was not saying, "You have no faith." Rather, He was asking, "Why do you have so little faith?"

There are people today who believe that God will save their soul, but they have a hard time believing that God will provide for their needs or resolve their problems or answer their prayers. They believe in Jesus for salvation, but they have a hard time believing Him for other things. When a challenge or a test comes their way, they are bowled over by it.