"Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God"

by Dr. Ann Pearson on August 10, 2020

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:33-34

Jesus taught that we should first seek the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness. This was not a causal comment. God knew that when His people put Him first that He could walk with them and carry them through every aspect of their lives. When we put God first, then all the things that God desires for our lives will be provided for us.

The challenge for us is to not lose sight of God being the main thing and letting other things creep in and get ahead of the most important thing-our commitment to God. It is our responsibility to put Him First above everything. God has it all under control and He is waiting for our obedience and full surrender to Him. He is standing at the door and knocking to come into our hearts. He asks us to open the door and let Him in.

God is worthy of anything He asks of us. He died and paid the ultimate price for each of our lives. What is holding us back to let Him in? Do we think He can’t do it all or fix it the way we want? God is all knowing and can do everything. God is greater and supreme above all nations, people and all things. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in taking the next step in your faith walk.

God wants us to give Him our all and not hold anything back in our relationship with Him. We can let Him carry the weight that lies upon our shoulders. God will not let us down. He is a faithful and loving God that cares more about you than you could ever know or even understand. He loves you with a love that is eternal and everlasting. Trust Him to bring you through when you can’t see the full picture.

I recently heard a pastor say, living in this season is like taking off on an airplane runway in Alabama on a stormy hot summer afternoon. You have to put your trust in someone else thousands of feet up in the air. The stewardess comes on and says, “Ladies and gentlemen, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. We may experience some turbulence, so stay in your seats till the Captain turns off the light and then you can move freely about the cabin. Thank you.” As the plane is ascending, the storms and lightning are flashing in the sky. Then within a few moments there is a breakthrough in the clouds and it’s like a whole new world is above the clouds. Beautiful sunshine and smooth sailing is all you can see for miles ahead. That is what I believe we are experiencing in our lives right now. We are in moments of turmoil and God is going to bring us through to better days ahead. His promises are everywhere. In our own humanness and frailty, as God’s people, we just need to see a little verification and validation we are doing the right things. All God is asking is to put Him First and trust and believe in His powers to make all things new. I believe without a shadow of a doubt that God is right here with me and each of you and He will never leave us.

Therefore, do not worry about things in the future. We should live today in the moment knowing God is right beside us and be content with the blessings that we have right now.

Prayer:

Oh God, we are so thankful that you go ahead of us as we enter into each day. You light our path moving forward. We trust and believe You will be by our side always. In Christ’s love, Amen

My Love and prayers,

Ann

About the Author

Dr. Ann Pearson

Ann graduated from the University of Alabama with a B.S. in Consumer Economics and household Equipment. She has a Masters in Science in Grief Counseling and Thanatology as well as a Doctorate in Philosophy of Pastoral Counseling and Thanatology from Breyer State University.

Her early professional career was spent working with the Tennessee Valley Authority in Knoxville, helping families of low income; working for the City of Charlotte Public Works Dept. and as a preschool teacher in Knoxville, Tennessee, Mobile and Fairhope AL. Ann has lived in Fairhope since 1986 where she immediately began serving in the youth department of Fairhope UMC. She joined the staff in 1990 as Youth Director, serving twice in this position and was also the interim Director of Children and Family Ministries for two years here! Ann had dual positions here at Fairhope UMC as Youth Director and Director of Caring Ministries which led to her becoming the full time Director of Caring Ministries in 2000. Ann loves her church family and appreciates the humble opportunity to be serving in this community. Ann has 2 children: daughter, Allison (Ryan) and son, Brad (Kate) and four granddaughters between the two! You will come to know she is passionate about University of Alabama Football, Grayton Beach and taking care of the people in this community by offering love, peace and God’s grace.

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