Everything we need. Not everything we might want. Note here that it is not just about seeking the Kingdom above all else but that we also must strive to live righteously. That means morally. That means that we respect and try to adhere to the laws God has laid out for us. Do not fall for the hyper grace lies that seek to diminish the very laws God says we must follow. They are not there for our punishment but for our protection.
The third promise in this one verse is that God will guard all that is ours! The promises of the world are fleeting and empty. The riches of the world all pass with time. The greatest leaders and most dominant kings are mere footnotes in history to provide glory to God. I have written before about Alexander the Great who conquered the entire known world by the age of 30 but was dead in the ground by age 33. Today you might get a statue if you were really famous. Maybe get a school named after you. It is nothing of eternal value however. Only what we do for the Kingdom of Heaven has eternal value. So the question here for us is; what are we valuing?
" Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. - Matthew 6: 19-21 (NLT)
Please realize that I am not advocating for vows of poverty for all Christians. I have often had the question asked of me whether or not I believe that God wants us materially prosperous on this earth as well as spiritually prosperous. People will often point to the wealth of Abraham or some other Biblical character. My answer is simple. If you find yourself asking that question then the answer is no. For every Biblical character you might find with some material wealth I can find one that was not. The point is where your heart is. The point is in what you value. If the desires of your heart are focused on the material wealth of this world then I believe that God would rather see you poor and focused on Him. If you spend you life pursuing God, seeking His Kingdom, and living righteously, then it would not surprise me at all to find you also materially blessed. Israel would often find themselves wrongly focused . Upon their return from exile they concentrated on their own homes and comfort instead of rebuilding the temple. God sent the Prophet Haggai with some choice words we should pay close attention to today:
Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: "Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies says: Look at what's happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes! - Haggai 1: 3-6 (NLT)
What a perfect description of a life pursuing the things of this world. If we were honest we would admit that we are never satisfied with what we have when we pursue the things of this world. We eat but remain hungry. We drink and remain thirsty. Our money never seem enough; like there are holes in our pockets. Many preachers seeking money will use these verses to solicit offerings to "build God's house" but I think it goes far deeper than that. We are constantly deciding which house we are building in our own lives. Will it be a house that seeks after God, knowing He guards all we have? Will it be a house found in the world, where the tighter we try and hold onto what we have the faster it slips through our fingers.
"Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash." - Matthew 7: 24-27 (NLT)
Beloved, what are we building our house upon? Which house is it that we are building? If our worldly life is pursued so vigorously that our godly house lies in ruins are we not a foolish builder? Whatever we have in God, is guarded by God. We do not have to worry about storm insurance! God is our storm insurance! The tempests of the world can beat upon our spiritual house all day long and we do not have to worry because God guards all that we have. As long as we are seeking to fill our cup with Him. As long as we are cultivating our inheritance from Him. We do not serve God because of what He will do for us. We serve God because of what He has already done. He is our portion; all we need. He is our cup of blessing, filled with His legacy. He does guard all that we have when we build our lives in His Kingdom and not in this world.
