Almost 20 years ago, my daily scripture reading routine took me through Exodus. The phrase “..the Lord said unto Moses…” is written several times in the book, 36 by my quick search using The Church app for the Bible and Book of Mormon.
I was going through a trial in my life back then and was seeking direction. I read that phrase in one of the chapters and stopped. I prayed, “Lord, I want to hear your voice like Moses did, out loud.” At that moment, all the thought went out of my mind and I audibly said, “Seek first the kingdom of heaven, and all shall be added unto you.” Then my thoughts returned. To this day, I feel that was God talking to me, out loud as I had asked. He gave me the direction I needed, to seek Him first and everything else would be taken care of.
Of course, Christ, in His sermon on the mount, gave that same directive. He told the people not to worry about what they would eat or what clothes they would wear. All they had to do was seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all those things would be provided (paraphrased from Matthew 6:31-33). The key word in that verse is first.
In order to receive the promised provision, I must put God first and give Him my best across all spectrums of my life. I need to put forth my best effort in serving Him every day in every action. I need to give the best of my talents, whether I have many or just one. I need to give the first fruits (a.k.a. best) of my income, not just what is left over after my necessary and unnecessary expenditures. By doing these things, I am exercising faith and obedience and truly seeking the Lord first in my life.
Thus, per His word which can never lie, He will provide for me in every way. I won’t have to worry about being hungry, clothed, or anything else. I can be in a situation where I have no clue where my next meal will come from, but if I’ve sought Him first, then I know that He will take care of me. Somehow, in some way, He will provide.
His provision is a promise we can all cling to, as long as we give of our best to the Master. After all, He gave His best on the cross so that we might have eternal life. Why, then, shouldn’t we give our best in all facets of life every day?
#SayCheeseTCOJC
Here’s what you posted last week when we asked you to share a photo of your Memorial Day celebrations. Keep an eye out tomorrow for the weekend photo challenge.
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Beautiful words. I had a similar experience with this verse. It has been one that I have fallen back on in times of need. His promises are true. Recently when praying about a job situation, I saw birds finding food and taking care of each other. I was reminded of this verse and how the fowls of the air do not toil. Shortly after God answered my prayer. Thank you for the inspiring blog.