Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. —Matthew 6:33
The more we get reacquainted with the original person God created us to be, the easier it gets to see through the destructive layers we’ve created that prevent us from living the abundantly rewarding life he wants us to have. He told us that in Matthew 6:33.
I realize now that’s where I must begin as I begin to peel away those destructive layers—to seek him first and foremost. Then the other things will fall into place.
I desire to know Christ. I want to know Christ. I want to know him the way the apostle Paul did when he wrote to the Philippians, “I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself” (3:10 MSG).
If I begin there, partnering with Jesus, knowing him personally, and constantly keeping my eye on that goal, then everything else makes more sense. It is the cornerstone of who I am; it is the very foundation upon which everything else lies. If I don’t begin there, with Christ, the rest of my world makes no sense. It is a daily, sometimes hourly, decision, desire, and choice to say, “I seek you first today, Lord.” It is a version of what Jesus himself prayed: “This is the real and eternal life: That they know you, the one and only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent” (John 17:3 MSG).
Excerpted from Daily Gifts of Grace. © 2012 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Brenda Graham
Our Life Group & our church are going through “Soul Revolution” (60/60) right now. Thank you Patti for just that more confirmation to always be looking heavenward, and praying continually!
January 21, 2012 at 6:36 PM
ANDREWS OSAFO
Thank you so much God for this message through auntie Sandy to me ! I’m so blessed and would like to know more.
January 18, 2012 at 4:19 AM
Edith Kulwa
Im so blessed with today,something was telling me to unsubscribe from these page but when i open it my eyes goes straight to the verse 17:3 Johns,i took the bible and read these word of God and they have blessed me the way I cant even express,thank you so much.
January 18, 2012 at 12:42 AM
Barbara L
Thank you, Patti, and all the people from Women of Faith. Your messages are helping me return to the God and Jesus of my younger self. I am finally trusting Him to mold me and make me into the woman He intended me to be. I want His will for my life…sometimes it is hard to HEAR HIM. But I am praying He will teach me to pray and teach me how to LISTEN.
January 17, 2012 at 10:44 PM
Lauren
Thank you, Sandi, for sharing this message! JESUS: may our eyes ever remain on Him!
January 17, 2012 at 5:13 PM
Shamina
Thanks Sandi! Seeking God is so vitally important. God desires to bring eternal change in our lives. Glory to God!
January 17, 2012 at 2:00 PM
Dianne Walter
Thank you for this word visual–peeling back the layers that hide the ‘real me’. Taking time to be still before God in order to do this ‘peeling’ is most difficult in our fast pace and ‘commotion-filled’ world. However, when we take the time to quietly reflect and refresh, the rewards are truly worth the sacrifice of being temporarily ‘disconnected’ from the world. Thank you Patty for your words and your wonderful gift of song. God bless you!
January 17, 2012 at 12:25 PM
HELEN T.
THIS IS AN AMAZING MSG AND A WONDERFUL REMINDER FOR HOW WE ALL NED TO LIVE OUR LIVES THRU JESUS CHRIST AND HIS WORD. WE ARE STUDYING THIS VERY THING IN OUR BIBLE CLASS RIGHT NOW AND IT IS ALSO VERY ABUNDANT IN MY DAILY DEVOTIONALS. THANK YOU FOR SENDING THIS OUT. WITH GODS GRACE ALWAYS. HT
January 17, 2012 at 12:21 PM
Laurie H.
AMEN!! When we choose to focus on Jesus, everything else just fades away.
Thank you, Sandi, for this beautiful reminder. We were made for God’s pleasure!
January 17, 2012 at 11:25 AM
BARBARA BORST
THIS IS SO TRUE. I AM ON PHASE 3 OF THE ULTIMATE JOURNEY (CHRIST-LIFE) AND IT IS ALL ABOUT DYING TO YOURSELF EVERY DAY, SOMETIMES EVERY MOMENT TO LET HIM LIVE THOUGH US. TO BE HOW HE INTENDED US TO BE. PTL.
January 17, 2012 at 10:18 AM
Lona
Thank you Sandy! If we all started every day with that thought process, we’d have a different world to live in. We need to make a conscious decision every day, every hour, to live in God’s will and then let’s watch and see the amount of power we have through Him. We will be able to move mountains!
Oh, by the way, you were given a gift from God…your voice is in my car often giving God praise through music praising Him…and it makes my heart happy to hear. Thanks for your great words today. God has already blessed you and all that love Him…we need to remember that every day!
January 17, 2012 at 9:08 AM
Diane Bailey
I began this journey 2 years ago seeking the Diane that God has made me to be. I seek Him first and in Him I find me. When I find me, my first opinion of myslef must be, faults and all, God considers me perfectly made.
January 17, 2012 at 6:38 AM
Susan Ferguson
Yes, knowing the spiritual me is more painful than the morning’s first glimpse of that strange woman in the bathroom mirror. Reminds that God will not allow me to see what I cannot bear to know about myself until He has prepared me to willingly place myself between His millstones where He will lovingly transform me into the image of His Son. His ultimate goal for me-transformation not destruction. Ouch!(Rom 8:29) I thank God, He loves me this much. Amazing love!
January 17, 2012 at 6:21 AM