Day 5: Seek Me First

On the fifth day of Christmas,

the Lord God said to me,

“Seek me first.”

Reflect 

I don’t know about you, but sometimes my priorities are a jumble. Sometimes the squeaky wheel is all I can pay attention to. When I don’t stop and prioritize my to-do list, I don’t finish the things that truly are most important. I feel frustrated with myself, and sometimes others may feel frustrated with me, as well.

“Seek me first,” is a call from God that echoes throughout the entire Bible. Deuteronomy 4:29 and Proverbs 8:17 both assure us that if we seek God diligently with our whole hearts, we will find God. And in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells us this in very concrete language.

In fact, when we seek God with our whole heart, we may discover that we see God every where and in every thing—and that is a wonderful, beautiful discovery. God is never lost, so we can always find God, even when we feel alone or not sure of where we are or what we should be doing. When we seek God first and make God’s will for our lives our first priority, our other priorities are much easier to manage. When we acknowledge God’s goodness and faithfulness in all things—and especially the things we struggle with—we can better understand and follow Jesus’ footsteps.

Think

1. What are your top priorities? How does God fit into them?
2. Do your priorities need to be re-evaluated?
3. When Jesus says that all we have to do is ask, and we will be given what we’ve asked for, what does he mean? Does that make Jesus like Santa?
4. Does it mean that Jesus understands what we need, what our heart needs, more than we do?

 

Do

Walk in Wonder: Take a walk by yourself or with someone in your family. Take time to see God’s hand in the wonder of our natural world. Discuss where you see God and when you feel close to him.

Get Organized: Look at your to-do list for today. How can you seek God in the errands you need to run and the chores you need to do? Maybe you can change your first task to praying before you begin the rest of your work. In your prayer, think about asking how to seek and serve God in the tasks you are doing today. What about your to-do list can you offer up to God as a prayer of thanksgiving?

 

Sing

Sing along with this version of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings” by the Face Vocal Band. Finding Jesus in all we do is the surest way to make our hearts merry and to find rest in his love.

 

Sing along with the five verses of our “12 Days of Christmas” song.

 

 

Pray

Dear Lord,

Sometimes I do not put you first. Help me give you priority not only over other things on my list but also in each thing on the list. Thank you for your assurance that you will provide for me and my family in better ways than I can imagine. Let all that I do today be done to the glory of your name. Amen.

 

Dig Deeper

Think about what God is telling us to do and not to do—ask and seek, but don’t worry. Trust and believe in the strength, power, and providence of God in Jesus.

New Testament Readings: Matthew 6:33-34 and Matthew 7:7-12

 

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As we consider our New Year’s resolutions, what would it mean to seek God first in each of them, seeking God first in saving money, exercising more, quitting a bad habit, or in starting a good one?