Seek Ye First

It was said of Jesus that “the common people heard him gladly”

(Mark 12:37). Most of the people in the large crowds who followed

and listened to Jesus were members of this class, the common

people. They were the ones who were fed on the mountainside and

who heard the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said to them, basically,

I know you are concerned about providing for your families. You

worry about the food and drink that you will need daily and the

clothing that you need for warmth and protection. But here is what

I propose . . .

Read Matthew 6:25–33. What was promised here, and what were the

people to do in order to receive those promises?

Many of the promises of God have elements of a bilateral cove­

nant. That is, in order to receive the blessing, we need to do our

part, as well.

Read Isaiah 26:3. What are we asked to do in order to have the peace

of God?

Read 1 John 1:9. What will Jesus do if we confess our sins?

Read 2 Chronicles 7:14. What are the “ifs” and “thens” of God’s pro-

posal here?

All these verses and many others deal with the important fact

that although God is sovereign, although God is our Creator and

Sustainer, and although salvation is a gift of grace and unmerited

on our part, we still have a part to play in the great controversy

drama here on earth. Using the sacred gift of free will, free choice,

we must choose to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit and obey

what God calls us to do. Though God offers us blessings and life,

we can choose cursing and death instead. No wonder God says,

“ ‘Therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may

live’ ” (Deut. 30:19, NKJV).