March 11

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things shall be added to you.” This promise in Matthew 6:33 is a hard one to ignore. Who wouldn’t like to have “all things”—every good thing imaginable—added as blessings into our lives! This hopeful gospel truth was spoken by Jesus Himself and anything He says cannot fail, for He cannot lie.

As with all the covenant promises of the Bible, this word is a two way street. The expectation is that the hearer of the word will fulfill his part before the Giver of the word has any obligation to perform. Just what does our part entail? Exactly what does the Lord expect of us if we wish to receive the bounty He has in His hand for us?

In a word, “everything.” It is incumbent upon us to diligently search after Christ and His Kingdom’s truth if we are to be the recipients of His Kingdom’s bounty. Our admonition to seek includes not simply an acquisition of knowledge of the Kingdom of Christ but also our allegiance to it. The Lord expects us to become citizens of His Kingdom—not merely “illegal aliens” who slip into His Kingdom to avail ourselves of its benefits, but full-fledged citizens who know its laws and respect its values.

He expects us to renounce the kingdoms of earth which formerly held our allegiance and align ourselves fully with His eternal domain. He does not expect that we retain our lust for the treasures of earth and the power and acclaim of earth but that we renounce all the trappings of the world that have so filled our eyes and our longing. The Lord wants us to be born again into His Kingdom and righteously adhere to its laws so we may receive all He desires to add into our lives.