Don’t Quit! Seek First the Kingdom
“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid! The Lord your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you” (Deut. 31:6 NLT).
I once heard a commercial on the radio where an ex-smoker was telling how he had tried more than once to quit smoking. He then said the reason he was not a smoker today was because he never, ever, gave up “trying to quit.” In other words, if he failed one day, he didn’t stop trying that day. The next day, he tried again – until he succeeded. As a result, today — he is no longer a smoker!
I love that story! It reveals a simple truth that the difficulties of your past and even your present can change! Don’t quit because of the difficulties of today. Even in the middle of your darkest hour, God has given us a promise that He will “prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies” (Ps. 23). The crisis of life comes to us all, but there is truth that gives us hope and strength for tomorrow.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33-34 (KJV):
“…But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Did you get that? How do you prepare for — and live life free from — the worry and fears of tomorrow? You choose every day to say and do the things that put God first. It will not only change your life today, but will in turn, cause you to be ready for the “difficulties” of tomorrow. The Message Bible puts it this way:
“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
In difficult times, people look to God for answers more than ever. Now more than ever, we must “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness!” The eternal destinies of the people whose lives we touch are at stake; we must trust in God’s Word and obey all that He tells us to do in reaching our world for Jesus Christ.
As we turn the page on another year, we walk forward confidently in faith, prepared and empowered with God’s promise and provision for each day to come. The future is bright when you place your hope in God. Happy New Year, dear partner! We believe that 2015 will be a year filled with every good thing!!!
Jesus is coming soon!
Cindy, Lois and Ray
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