The Voice | Seek First the Kingdom

The Voice  

I have no formal training in religious studies, and I am not a Bible Scholar.  

I am simply a servant after God’s own heart.  

I am here before you today out of simple obedience.  

There is nothing that I can tell you about myself that would not include me boasting about God, because everything that I have to show for in my life is a result of my obedience to Him and the fulfillment of His promises. 

Therefore, I will not boast in my own wisdom, because my only boast is that I know my Lord and Savior.

"But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:24  (ESV) 

I also know the end of the story, and it is my prayer that one day I will hear,  

“A loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” Revelation 12:10–11 (ESV) 

God’s Word reminds us that Christ has already conquered death. 

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.” Romans 6:9 (ESV) 

However, I have not yet conquered the accuser in my personal life, as even Paul explained that he had not been perfected but continually pressed toward the goal.   

Straining Toward the Goal 

[12] Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. [13] Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [15] Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. [16] Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Philippians 3:12–16 (ESV) 

I believe that part of my personal pursuit for the Kingdom of God is to obediently share my testimony, and it is my prayer that my voice will simply help you hear the voice of your Heavenly Father more clearly in your own life.   

I do not wish to add more opinions, perspectives, or debate to our world, as it is full enough of all those things.  

I simply want to encourage you to return to seeking first the Kingdom of God in all that you do, so you will not have to be anxious about tomorrow.  

Even though I am inviting you to listen to my voice, as I share with you my testimony, I want to be abundantly clear: 

~ the most important thing you can do in your personal pursuit of the Kingdom of God, is NOT to look for the voice of another man or woman, but instead, listen for the voice of your Heavenly Father. ~ 

One way that He will speak to you is through His Word, and we can stand on this promise:  

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) 

As a woman of God, I want to be well equipped for every good work, and I also want to be complete, but I cannot do so without the word of God being applied to my life.   

If hasn’t already, I hope to encourage you to move God’s Word into its proper place in your life.  

For a long time in my life, God’s Word was not in the proper place. I only reached for His Word on Sundays and very infrequently Monday through Saturday. 

I am learning to abide in His Word daily, I am learning to delight in His word, and I would like to invite you to make it your practice to abide in His Word daily, as well.  

See, God’s Word promises that,  

“The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 ESV 

And now more than ever, I need God to help me discern my thoughts.  I need Him to help me divide what is Good and what is evil, and I need the ability to “pour out my complaints” before Him and tell of my trouble before Him. Psalm 142:2 (ESV)  

The truth is, I came to know man’s interpretation of God (also known as “religion”), long before I came to know the true character of God, and what I have learned is that at times, the two can be very different. 

It is my prayer that if you ever begin to lose hope, that my voice will serve as a reminder to you that God is worth another chance. He has never given up on you, so don’t ever give up on Him.  As I have been studying the life of David, I have been surprised at just how many times David failed. I had only taken note of a few of David’s failures until recently, but I now see clearly, David was just a man, no different than me or you.  

Yet, after every single one of David’s failures, He returned to God, even when the punishments David faced were very unpleasant.    

I have to believe that David’s unfailing desire to return to God was because knew the true character of God. My husband would argue that it is because David understood the true character of some men.  

Either way, at a time when David was facing God’s displeasure of him, God gave David a choice of three offers, (1) 3 years of famine,(2) 3 months of devastation by David’s foes while the sword of his enemies overtakes him, (3) or  3 days of the sword of the Lord, pestilence on the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Isreal.   

Only David can tell us why he gave the response he gave, but David’s response was clear: 

“I am in great distress. Let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” 1 Chronicles 21:12-13  

So, no matter where you are at, it is my prayer that you will have understanding that you can fall back into the hands of your master, and take it from someone like David that knew, you would rather fall into the hands of God, then into the hands of man.  

As Jackie Hill Perry puts it,  

I hope to share with you how I found my safe place, by abiding in God daily and how I transitioned from seeing God through man’s understanding, to seeing him for myself, through my own personal revelation. 

I want to remind you that the “the name of the Lord is a strong tower, that the righteous run into it and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10 (ESV)  

Again, I am not a pastor or a minister, but I do love to teach.  

I love facts, and have an insatiable curiosity, which can be both a blessing and a curse.  

I also have a logical mind, so it is my prayer that I can not only use my voice to share my testimony with you, but also share the scriptures that God gave me for each season of my journey.   

It is imperative that you understand from the outset that your journey will not be the same as mine. I believe it is long past time that we drop the charade and stop pretending that any two journeys are the same. 

Therefore, I see my role as sharing the knowledge and understanding that has been given to me, and then it is your responsibility to take it from there.  

Because, at the end of the day, it is your job to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you.” Philippians 2:12-13.  

As my husband likes to say, the Bible provides us with a universal doctrine that is to be individually applied.  

My prayer is that I can make His Word more accessible, so that above all the other distractions available to you in this world, you will be encouraged to seek first the Kingdom of God instead, and in all that you do, as you draw closer to Christ.  

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. [16] Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  Hebrews 4:15-16 (ESV) 

For His Kingdom, For His Glory.