Challenge Answers and Thoughts on Matthew 6:33

Good evening to All!
Let's start tonight's post off with the Answers to the Bible Challenge of "LOVE" from last night.

1. d) Jacob (Genesis 29-30)
2. d) a year (Deuteronomy 24:5)
3. b) "covereth all sins" (Proverbs 10:12)
4. c) Samaritans (John 4:9)
5. d) is forgiven (Luke 7:47)
6. b) Jewish leaders (John 5:18, 5:42)
7. faith and hope (1 Corinthians 13:13)
8. B) fear (1 John 4:18)
9. a) in deed and in truth (1 John 3:18)
10. c) Paul (1 Corinthians 16:20)

****************************************************

Father Knows Best
Seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.
(Matthew 6:33)

God wants us to seek righteousness, peace, and joy, which is His kingdom (see Romans 14:17). He wants us to deeply desire right behavior and do all that we can to pursue it , and when we do He promises to add the things we need and desire. He
wants us to seek Him, and when we do He is pleased to bless us.

When we have a desire, we should simply ask God and trust Him completely; however, we should avoid lusting after things. I believe we are lusting when we want something so much that we feel we cannot be happy without it. I once heard a woman say that she just could not be happy if God did not give her children. I have also heard single ladies make the same comment regarding their desire to be married. Attitudes like this are wrong and offensive to God. Anything we feel that we must have in order to be happy besides God is something the enemy can use against us, so be sure to keep your desires balanced.

It is much better to pray and let God provide then to torment yourself trying to make things happen yourself. Always remember that God is good and He wants to be good to you, so keep your eyes on Him and His Kingdom and look forward to His providing the things that are right for you.

This little devotional was taken from my new book: "hearing from GOD each morning" by Joyce Meyer.

While I really like listening to her preach, I must say I disagree with her somewhat. First of all, if you will read several verses above Mat. 6:33, you will see that it says: (25)Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? ....(31) Therefore do not worry, saying What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek ye 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.

Let me interject that if you follow this scripture and do seek after His kingdom first, your wants and desires will change.

Now, the above paragraph is meant to tell you that "desires" is nowhere mentioned He will give you what you need. The reason I bring this up is because so many people read this verse as I USED to and think that if I put God first, then I'll get everything I "WANT". NOT SO. When you seek God, and put HIM first, then after a while your own desires change. You will think in terms of what God wants for you rather than what the "world has to offer you".

As far as "lusting after" I give this phrase two separate meanings (in PJ's vocabulary). The first being to covet, like "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. In other words, she belongs to another, HANDS OFF! Wanting something that belongs to another. The other way I look at this phrase is when Jesus said that if a man lusts after another man's woman, he has already committed adultery in his heart. That is a serious no-no. The reason I bring up the difference in our opinions on "lusting" is because a person can lust after something even knowing he or she can be happy without it. For example, how many times has a man or woman thought in their heads how it would be to "be" with a person, knowing that person is married or "with"someone else. They might even justify it by thinking "I don't want a serious relationship, I just bet she or he would be "fun" to be with for a while. Something different. Ladies and gentlemen that is Still LUSTING. If they are not available it is lusting.

Another example is "lusting for things of this world". That is having an uncontrollable urge to obtain. Not good. In keeping with the theme of the week, we were talking about the Fruit of the Spirit, remember what it is? Love, joy, peace long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Needless to say, if you are lusting after something, you are NOT practicing self-control, so you are not "walking in the Spirit". If you are not walking in the Spirit, (God's kingdom) then you are walking in the "flesh" (the world, which is Satan's domain). Satan's spirit is running rampant through this world. If you don't believe me, just look at what is being accepted today that wasn't accepted as readily 15 or 20 years ago. This world has become "morally bankrupt", and we wonder why children are so unruly, depressed, and have so many issues behaviorally today. It's because we are allowing Satan's spirit to blind us to what is REALLY going on. Just like a lot of our politicians blind us to what is really going on in the government by getting our focus on everything but what is important, Satan's spirit is blinding us the same way and calling it "Progress".

Goodness! I don't know how I got from Matthew 6:33 to here, but I prayed before I started that God would take over my brain and my fingers and have HIS way in this post tonight by typing the message HE wanted to get out, so there you have it. I hope this has touched someone's heart tonight as that is the main focus of my blog. To get people thinking and maybe even Studying God's Word more closely.

Good Night to All and May God Bless!