Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33
As an alternative to making a resolution (often broken by January 2nd), I've made it my practice for several years to pray over a word for the year, wait for God's confirmation, then look for how he'll use it.
Curious ... Do you follow the popular 'one word' approach to a new year?
The word God gave me for 2025 is KINGDOM.
I puzzled over this for several days. It felt, I don't know, regal, unrelatable, impractical.
But the word kingdom kept appearing—in scripture, in writings, in conversations—and was confirmed by people I trust.
Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
There's no confusion about the order of priority here:
We are told to seek FIRST his kingdom and his righteousness ahead of all the "things" (concerns, physical needs ... everything!)
Because our good Father promises to provide all the "things", it should free our minds and hearts to seek kingdom things.
But our tendency is to seek and grow our own kingdom, make much of our own name, and establish our own will. In so doing, we sacrifice God's greater, lasting rewards.
Maybe we secretly fear our heavenly Father won't come through. Goodness, with all the chaos, devastation, and upheaval shaking up the world, will he overlook our concerns?
Never. He's actively establishing his kingdom through us—as we choose to participate in building it.
All the temporal and prideful "things" we tend to prioritize over seeking his kingdom? Well, our good Father is well aware of what we need more than we are—and before we know what to ask:
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:8, 32
This year, let's seek his kingdom and celebrate his provision of all those "things" he's promised to provide.
Questions to Ponder
*What makes seeking his kingdom difficult?
*What is your one word and/or verse of the year and how will you use it?
*When you prioritize eternal things—his name, kingdom, will—how much do you trust him to provide all the other things?
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