BUT FIRST, GOD: The Advantages of Prioritizing God in Our Lives

A realm of immaculate peace

When people say, “too blessed to be stressed”, do we ponder its true meaning? Does God’s blessings reduce our stress? I would empathically say, “ABSOLUTELY!” Just this morning I read in Isaiah 66:12: “For thus saith the Lord, behold, I will extend peace to her like a river…” Can someone burdened with stress achieve such peace?

Imagine sitting by a riverbank. Observing its gentle flow can have a notably soothing effect. The uninterrupted movement of the water accompanied by its melodic sounds exemplifies tranquility. This sense of peace, however, is not imposed upon us; but whether, it is graciously extended to us. Upon becoming part of God's kingdom, He avails everything to us. The choice is ours whether or not we receive it, including 'peace like a river'.

Matthew 6:33 highlights the simplicity of this process: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” I personally summarize this as "But first, God." Let me explain it this way. In my previous post, I touched on how God is our Heavenly Father and that He urges us to ask Him for all things; like we did our earthly fathers when we were children. Our major focus here on earth should be securing a meaningful relationship with the Creator. Because He made us, no one is better suited for providing for us. He knows what we need when we need it. How? It’s simple. Because He made us.

The things that we stress over are the very things that God the Father wants us to ask of Him. Things like food, clothing, health and financial stability. He's waiting for His children to come to Him and more than happy to grant our request.

Recognizing The Proper Order

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. (John 1:1) This renowned scripture provides a clear perspective on the hierarchy of spiritual matters. The foremost reason to prioritize God is due to His precedence; nothing existed before Him. He created the heavens and the earth, the solar systems, and the firmaments above and below. He separated the darkness to reveal the light. He is the beginning. THE FIRST. The latter most reason to prioritize God is because, He knows there are things we sometimes need that only He can provide. There are situations we get ourselves into that only He can get us out of. And the peace that overtakes us (or can overtake us) during these trying times is a peace that only He can provide, 'peace like a river'.

How to Achieve The Perfect Peace of God

As beautiful as it sounds, the peace of God doesn’t always come instantly. It is a process that evolves around our personal relationship with the Creator. A relationship in which we have put in the work to build our trust in Him. By reading the bible daily, meditating on the Word, getting to know the very character of God, we learn to build a trust in Him (Proverbs 3:5) that cannot be deterred by any thought, anything or anyone. Thereby not being afraid to come “boldly to the throne of Grace (with our petitions), that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrew 4:16). This same help was promised us through faith; "without faith, it is impossible to please Him". (Hebrew 11:6) When we come to Him in faith, He responds to our faith.

A Realm of Immaculate Peace

Peace like a river can be attained spiritually. The key factor is the effort the believer is prepared to invest to achieve it. God never intended for us to live in stress and worry. These emotions should have no room in our lives. When a situation or need arises, we should confront it immediately with the word of God. He has provided us with a word for every possible challenge we might encounter. This is why studying the Bible is crucial in our spiritual journey.

Trusting in God’s Word could lead us to a realm of Immaculate peace; “the peace of God which passeth all understanding,” (Philippians 4:7) and have everyone around us questioning our very sanity as we patiently wait on God’s miraculous conclusions on our behalf.

Thank you for Reading!

May the peace of God which passeth all understanding abound in your spiritual walk.

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