Jesus’ words, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33), are simple yet profound. The Kingdom of God is not just a faraway realm we hope to reach someday; it’s God’s mind, His ways, His intentions, and His reign breaking into our lives here and now.
The psalmist prayed, “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths” (Psalm 25:4). That prayer captures the heart of seeking the Kingdom. To know God’s ways is to know His heart—to see from His perspective. It’s not complicated: God revealed His will from the beginning when He made man in His image and said, “Let them have dominion” (Genesis 1:26). He placed humanity in the garden He planted, showing His desire for us to live in His presence, under His provision, and in partnership with Him.
We see the same desire throughout Scripture: God leading His people into a promised land, Christ teaching us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” His thoughts toward us have always been thoughts of peace, not evil, to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
But somewhere along the way, misconceptions clouded this simple truth. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Not knowledge in the sense of information, but a lack of truly knowing God. Sin makes us self-conscious and shame-driven. Like Adam and Eve, we become aware of our “nakedness,” and our instinct is to hide or cover ourselves. Yet even there, God’s heart is to cover us Himself: “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21).
The invitation of Jesus to repent—to change our minds—is really a call to shift our gaze back to Him. Isaiah 26:3 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.” When we fix our minds on God, we see His goodness, His provision, and His covering. Even when we feel exposed, His Kingdom reality is that we are clothed in righteousness through Christ (Isaiah 61:10).
The Kingdom is not far off. It is at hand. It is God’s reign and His ways becoming real in our hearts, shaping how we see everything. And Jesus’ command to “seek first” is the simplest way forward:
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Seek His heart above all else.
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Let His thoughts replace your own.
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Turn your mind back to Him, even when you feel naked or ashamed.
If we only knew Him—truly knew Him—we’d find peace. If we’d only keep our minds stayed on Him, we’d see that we are already covered.
Seek Him first. Everything else flows from there.
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