Monday, February 28  -  

Isaiah begins this week’s passage by reminding us that God said, “In a time of favor I have answered you, on a day of salvation I have helped you…” When we think about prioritizing, striving first for the kingdom, is there ever a time when God has not granted us favor, or come to us without salvation? When we think about that the answer is no. But, if we look at the way our part of God’s covenant with us works we have to admit that we are less than attentive to “striving FIRST…!” If we’re truthful we invoke the name of God when it’s convenient, or when we need God the most. Let’s work today on striving FIRST (before anything else) for the kingdom!

Tuesday, March 1  -  

Paul writes of being a servant of Christ and a steward of God’s mysteries. He sets us up in this way to give us a lesson on judgment. I say that he sets us up because he is pointing out that while he has nothing to hide, he knows that others will judge him. He’s not concerned about that because we are to leave the judgment up to God alone. That is one more lesson in striving FIRST for the kingdom. It’s one more thing (and there are lots) God does for us that we need to turn over to our LORD. “Judge not, lest ye be judged.”

Wednesday, March 2  -  

Paul goes on (in this 4th chapter of I Corinthians), “It is required of stewards that they should be found trustworthy.” Paul is talking about us, folks. We are all to be stewards of all that God has given us. If stewards, then trustworthy! Think about the many things in your life that has been entrusted to you by God. Are you trustworthy in all those things? If we are truly striving first for the kingdom we are remembering to be trustworthy. Like any good parent, God has high expectations for us. We need to have equally high expectations for ourselves. Being “trustworthy” is one such expectation.

Thursday, March 3  -  

Matthew tells us that no one can serve two masters. We cannot serve God and wealth. This passage has bothered people for years. We live in an affluent country and many are “wealthy” at least by the world’s standards. However, I think what Jesus is trying to tell us in this passage is that we are not supposed to dwell on all the fact that we are indeed wealthy. We are not to service that wealth to the point that we get nothing else done. We are to love God first, last and always. When we do that, our wealth may well be with us, but it will only be used as a means to get us to the end, which, of course, is our relationship with Christ and each other! Strive FIRST…!

Friday, March 4  -  

What are we going to wear tomorrow? What will we eat tonight for dinner? Will we look as good as we want to in the outfit we have purchased for our big night on the town? What about taxes? Will we have enough money to pay them when April 15th rolls around? So many questions! Oh, your questions may be different than the ones I’ve posed. But, we all have questions about those little things in life. I name them as little because, next to striving FIRST for the kingdom, they are indeed little. Jesus said, “Strive FIRST for the kingdom of God…and these things shall be given to you!