Corona Devo 1269

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  ~Matthew 6:33

January 1st is not the only first-day of the year.  Every August and September many people (young and older) have another "first day": Back to school.

Just like January, there are fresh starts and aspirations with the beginning of a new school year.  But it also brings intimidations, unknowns, and forced changes.  Much of back-to-school (new classes, new faces, new seating, new concepts, new teachers, new lockers, new schools) is out of our comfort zone.

But luckily, God gives us a syllabus today: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  ~Matthew 6:33

What's a "syllabus"?  I know (generally) because I've just signed about six for my kids in the past few days.  Usually for middle and high school students, they are a summary of the topics to be taught and covered over the year, teacher expectations, student expectations, and grading percentage descriptions (Homework, class participation, tests, etc). 

In part, a syllabus provides the expectations (of the teacher), and the outcomes that students can expect if they follow them.  And to prove student/family understanding and acceptance of the syllabus, a signature is often required by the student and a parent.

As I was praying for our children and their start to the school year, I was grateful to realize that God provides us with a syllabus for back-to-school (if that is our situation currently), or for-our-today.  Either way, His expectations and requirements of us are the same: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

Wake up.  Get up.  And make a decision to carve out some time reading the Bible and sitting with God.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

Before chores, before scores, before posts and headlines: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

In the quiet just before the world wakes.  Prior to the pressures of the day: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

These few words are a summary of the topics that God is teaching us today: seek Him first (But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness  ~Matthew 6:33).

~~~

But our Heavenly Father and Almighty God does not leave the "syllabus" heavy-weighted on one side, full of our responsibilities only.  Though He owes us nothing, our (All-Powerful!) God provides in print what we can expect from Him: and all these things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:33).

If we will seek Him and His kingdom first...

If we will seek His righteousness first...

 ...all these things shall be added to you.  ~Matthew 6:33

All what "things"?  

It's hard to say.  And it will vary from you to me (to say).  It will be a blessing uniquely to each of us (to say).  And I dare say that we might not even know (now) what things shall be added to us.  

Because each day that we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, we become a little more like the kingdom of God and His righteousness.  And so, the things that shall be added to us might be things we have never even uttered aloud.  Things that only a Father who knows us intimately could know.  

What things?

All these things shall be added to you.  ~Matthew 6:33

~~~

I like this syllabus from our Savior.  For though it is not easy, neither is it hard.  

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  ~Matthew 6:33

God (our greatest Teacher) provides His expectations, and also the outcomes that we (His students) can expect if we follow them.  

So maybe it's back-to-school week, and there is an air of new beginnings in your home, or maybe it feels like the millionth same-old-day in a row---either way, and every day, God's syllabus is the same: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  ~Matthew 6:33

~~~

The morning of the first day of school every year, I write a little note to my kids, with the inclusion of a Bible verse and prayer and share it with them hurriedly, because the morning of the first-day-of-school is always chaotic--but I always find that note tucked away (usually worse-for-the-wear) every May when we unpack backpacks for Summer break.

This year I used the same verse for all three kids, even though I know that God will present Himself uniquely to each of them and require different things from each of them this Year, if they will choose to enter in to His "syllabus": But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  ~Matthew 6:33

The same "syllabus" is true for each of us.  God lays out His expectations of us, and also a glimpse (promise!) of His end of the bargain.  We will get the best possible results and outcomes in this life if we will enter into living it for the Lord fully.   

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  ~Matthew 6:33


Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com 

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