Seek Ye First...

I've been away from here for quite awhile because, frankly, things haven't been going so well. Health, job, family, finance issues--all have been causing me a lot of concern and, truth be told, I've been feeling rather down. Not to mention disappointed with God. What's going on with all of this? What is the Lord up to? Has he foresaken my mom and I? And much like Job, I've been getting a lot more advice from the brethren than I was really caring for. Good advice perhaps, but certainly not what I wanted to hear. I was hoping for a little more "poor Mark" instead of what actually might be some good things to be focusing on.

But what I am hopefully learning at last is that it's not about circumstances, but about God's promises. This isn't heaven. It's never going to be. And there are going to be trials, and tribulations, and times when God makes no sense. These too are some of the promises we find in His Word, and they are not easy ones. Yet we have to deal with them, and what it comes down to is faith.

You see, God has also (and more importantly) promised us that through it all, He is with us, loves us, and will never leave us. No matter what is going on, the Lord is working, and working all things for good. We can not only survive in this fallen world, but have His joy and peace by keeping Him first, coming to Him in prayer without ceasing, and following His lead. The trick (that is no real trick at all) is to keep our eyes on Him, remember that He knows what He's doing, and seeking His guidance in ALL things. The world never tells us that walking with Christ will be easy, but it will be for His glory and our great reward when we simply follow His lead.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
-Matthew 6:33-34