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“Seek the Kingdom First” is built on one of the most central commands of Jesus regarding the priorities of the Christian life.
Let us look at what the Word of God says:
> “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
> — *Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)*
And again:
> “Jesus said to him, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment.’”
> — *Matthew 22:37–38 (NKJV)*
And James gives a corresponding promise:
> “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
> — *James 4:8 (NKJV)*
These three passages define a single spiritual principle:
God demands first place, not second or third. When God is first, everything else finds its right place. When anything else is first, everything eventually falls out of order.
The song is essentially a proclamation of priority: God’s kingdom first, God’s love first, God’s presence first. And from that priority flows provision, direction, and intimacy with God.
This is not a suggestion. It is a kingdom law:
Seek first the kingdom – and all these things shall be added.
---
### Matthew 6:33 – In the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 6:33 is part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Jesus is speaking to His disciples and the gathered crowds in Galilee. They were not living in abundance. They were under Roman occupation, under economic pressure, many living at a subsistence level.
In Matthew 6:25–34, Jesus addresses a very practical problem: anxiety about daily provision.
He says:
The “Gentiles” here are those who do not know the true God. Their life is centered on survival and material pursuit. Their minds are dominated by “What shall we eat? What shall we drink? What shall we wear?” (v. 31).
Into that context Jesus gives the corrected priority:
> “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
He is not advocating irresponsibility. He is reordering priorities:
Not food first. Not clothes first.
Kingdom first. Righteousness first.
Provision is not removed. It is relocated. It becomes “added” – not the main pursuit.
### Matthew 22:37 – The Greatest Commandment
In Matthew 22, Jesus is questioned by a lawyer: “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” (v. 36). This was a theological trap. The religious leaders debated which commandment was greatest among the 613 laws of Moses.
Jesus answers with Deuteronomy 6:5:
> “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”
He elevates love for God as the greatest, supreme command. This love is not sentimental. It is total allegiance:
It is another way of saying: God must be first.
### James 4:8 – Drawing Near in a Context of Divided Loyalty
James writes to believers whose hearts were being pulled toward worldliness:
> “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” (James 4:4)
They were trying to have both: the world’s values and God’s favor. James rebukes this double-mindedness and calls them to repentance, humility, and submission.
Then he gives this promise:
> “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)
This is a covenant pattern: your movement toward God is met by His movement toward you. But the context is very clear: it involves repentance, cleansing, and loyalty:
> “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (v. 8b)
So Matthew 6:33, Matthew 22:37, and James 4:8 speak with one voice:
---
### 1. “Seek” – Greek: *zēteō* (ζητέω)
In Matthew 6:33:
> “But seek first the kingdom of God…”
The Greek word is *zēteō*. It does not mean a casual glance or occasional interest. It means:
It implies priority pursuit – something you center your energy and attention on.
Jesus contrasts what the Gentiles seek (*zēteō*) with what His disciples are to seek:
So “seek first the kingdom” means:
Make God’s rule, God’s interest, God’s standards the dominant pursuit of your life. Everything else is subordinate.
### 2. “Kingdom” – Greek: *basileia* (βασιλεία)
“Kingdom” is *basileia*. It is not primarily a geographical word. It means:
So the “kingdom of God” is not merely a future place we go to. It is the present rule of God in and through His people.
To “seek the kingdom” is to seek:
It is to say, in practice: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done.” (Matthew 6:10)
### 3. “Draw near” – Greek: *engizō* (ἐγγίζω)
In James 4:8:
> “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
*Engizō* means:
It is not merely emotional. It involves decisive movement: turning away from sin, from the world’s friendship, from double-mindedness, and moving toward God in humility, worship, obedience, and trust.
This deepens the lyrics that say:
> “Early in the morning, I’ll seek Your face
> When trouble comes, I’ll call on Your name
> You promise if I draw near to You
> You’ll draw near to me”
This is not wishful thinking. It is built on a covenant word:
If you *engizō* to God, He will *engizō* to you.
---
Let us move through the main themes expressed in the lyrics and see how Scripture interprets them.
### A. “Don’t chase after food or clothes like those who don’t know God”
> “Don’t chase after food or clothes like those who don't know God
> Look at the birds—they don't plant or harvest, yet your Father feeds them
> You're worth so much more to Him
> And the flowers grow beautifully without a worry
> If God dresses the fields that fade tomorrow
> He'll surely take care of you”
This stanza is a direct reflection of Matthew 6:25–30.
Jesus draws two simple, observable illustrations:
1. The birds of the air
2. The lilies/flowers of the field
The spiritual principle: Worry about provision is rooted in unbelief about the Father’s care.
Jesus says to His disciples: “O you of little faith” (v. 30).
So the lyrics contrast two lifestyles:
This is spiritual warfare at the level of thoughts and priorities. The enemy wants to enslave believers to the same anxieties that dominate the world. When you are preoccupied with survival, you are unavailable for kingdom assignment.
### B. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously”
> “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously
> And he will give you everything you need”
This is the refrain grounded in Matthew 6:33. Notice the two elements:
1. Seek first the kingdom of God
2. And His righteousness
Many want the benefit: “all these things shall be added.” But the promise is conditional. It hinges on the prior actions:
What is “His righteousness”? It is:
Romans 14:17 defines the kingdom:
> “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
When you seek the kingdom, you are seeking to be rightly aligned with God’s rule in every area.
Notice the order:
This contradicts the spirit of the age, which says:
“Secure yourself first, then serve God if there is time.”
Jesus reverses it:
“Serve God first, and He will secure you.”
### C. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind”
> “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind
> That's the greatest command of all
> Put Him first in everything you do
> No other gods before Him, keep your focus true
> Trust Him fully, lean not on what you understand
> He'll guide your steps and make your path straight”
This stanza unites Matthew 22:37 and Proverbs 3:5–6.
1. Love with all your heart, soul, and mind
The word “all” is crucial. Partial love, divided allegiance, double-mindedness are incompatible with the kingdom. God will never be content to be one item on your list of priorities. He demands supremacy.
2. No other gods before Him
This echoes the first of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3). An idol is not only a carved image. It is anything you place before God in trust, loyalty, or desire:
Any of these can become a “god” if it competes with the Lord for first place.
3. Trust Him fully, lean not on what you understand
Proverbs 3:5–6:
> “Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
> And lean not on your own understanding;
> In all your ways acknowledge Him,
> And He shall direct your paths.”
Notice the parallel with “seek first”:
This is the practical outworking of “kingdom first”:
In every decision, you ask, “What does the King say?”
You do not lean on your reasoning, but you submit your reasoning to His rule.
This is a place of spiritual safety. Many believers stray because they treat God as an occasional counselor, not as a King who must be obeyed.
### D. “Early in the morning, I’ll seek Your face… Draw near”
> “Early in the morning, I'll seek Your face
> When trouble comes, I'll call on Your name
> You promise if I draw near to You
> You'll draw near to me
> Those who hunger for what's right will be filled
> Come close to God, and He'll come close to you”
Here we see the convergence of James 4:8, Psalm 63:1, and Matthew 5:6.
1. “Early in the morning, I’ll seek Your face”
Psalm 63:1:
> “O God, You are my God;
> Early will I seek You;
> My soul thirsts for You…”
This expresses a priority of time. You show what you value by what you seek first in the day. Seeking God early is a practical way of saying, “You are first.”
2. “When trouble comes, I’ll call on Your name”
Psalm 50:15:
> “Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
> I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
God invites us to make Him our first resort, not our last resort.
3. “Those who hunger for what's right will be filled”
This reflects Matthew 5:6:
> “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
> For they shall be filled.”
What you hunger for determines what you are filled with. When you hunger for “what’s right” – God’s righteousness, His rule, His presence – there is a divine guarantee: you will be filled.
4. “Come close to God, and He’ll come close to you”
James 4:8 is restated. This is both an encouragement and a warning.
### E. “Put God's kingdom and His ways first every day”
> “Put God's kingdom and His ways first every day
> Live right, trust Him, seek Him in every way
> He knows what you need, He'll provide it all
> When you chase Him first, you'll never fall”
This is a practical restatement of Matthew 6:33 and Psalm 37:23–25.
Psalm 37:23–25 says:
> “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
> And He delights in his way.
> Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
> For the Lord upholds him with His hand.
> I have been young, and now am old;
> Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
> Nor his descendants begging bread.”
Notice again:
“When you chase Him first, you'll never fall” does not mean you will never make mistakes. It means you will never be abandoned, cut off, or ultimately overthrown, because God upholds those who put Him first.
---
The message “Seek the Kingdom First” must become a lifestyle, not a slogan. Let me give you some concrete steps.
### 1. Establish God’s Kingdom Priority Daily
First, we must intentionally place God’s rule first every day.
“Lord Jesus, You are King. I submit my day, my time, my decisions to Your rule. Your kingdom come; Your will be done in me today.”
Make it a settled decision that God’s will outranks your plans. If He redirects you, you obey.
### 2. Renounce Anxiety and Material Preoccupation
Second, we must repent of worry as unbelief.
Worry about provision is not neutral. Jesus connects it with “little faith” and with the lifestyle of “those who don’t know God.”
You can pray:
Then, when anxious thoughts arise, you answer them with Scripture:
This is spiritual warfare at the level of the mind (2 Corinthians 10:4–5).
### 3. Remove Rival “Gods” and Divided Loyalties
Third, we must identify and lay down idols.
Ask the Holy Spirit:
Any relationship, habit, possession, ambition, or fear that I value more than Your will?”
When He points something out, do not argue. Repent and realign.
James 4 reveals that divided allegiance is spiritual adultery. To draw near to God, you must break friendship with the world’s value system:
self-exaltation, greed, independence, sensuality, pride.
Make conscious choices that express: “No other gods before You.”
### 4. Build Habits of Seeking, Loving, and Drawing Near
Fourth, we must build disciplined habits that reinforce seeking first.
Some practical patterns:
“Lord, I acknowledge You in this. Direct my path.”
“Father, I choose Your will here, not mine.”
These simple habits align with “Early in the morning, I’ll seek Your face” and “Seek Him in every way.”
Over time, this produces a kingdom reflex: you turn to God first, not last.
---
### Proclamation
Speak this aloud, thoughtfully and deliberately:
> I proclaim that Jesus Christ is my Lord and my King.
> I choose to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
> I refuse to live like those who do not know God,
> chasing after food, clothing, and security.
> My heavenly Father knows what I need,
> and He has promised that as I put His kingdom first,
> all these things will be added to me.
> I will love the Lord my God with all my heart,
> with all my soul, and with all my mind.
> I will put no other gods before Him.
> I will trust in the Lord with all my heart
> and not lean on my own understanding.
> In all my ways I will acknowledge Him,
> and He will direct my paths.
> I choose to draw near to God,
> and He is drawing near to me.
> I hunger and thirst for righteousness,
> and I shall be filled.
> God’s kingdom and His ways are first in my life—
> today and every day, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
### Prayer
Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for Your unchanging Word.
Forgive me for every way I have put other things before Your kingdom –
for every anxious thought, every divided loyalty, every compromise.
I ask You now:
Establish Your rule in my heart.
Holy Spirit, reveal any idol, any area where I have not loved the Lord with all my heart, soul, and mind. Give me grace to repent and to obey.
Teach me to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Train my heart to trust, not to worry.
Order my steps in Your Word.
Let my life display that You are a faithful Father
who knows what I need and supplies as I walk in obedience.
I choose today to draw near to You.
Draw near to me, Lord.
Fill me with hunger for righteousness.
Clothe me with Your peace, Your joy, and Your presence.
I ask this in the name of Jesus,
the King of the kingdom I seek first.
Amen.
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