Stovall Weems - Living the God-First Life

ZONDERVAN

Living the God-First Life

Copyright 2014 by Stovall Weems

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ePub Edition January 2015: ISBN 978-0-310-32476-8

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Interior design: Matthew VanZomeren

First printing November 2014

CONTENTS

As followers of Christ, we can set ourselves up to believe that were supposed to have the Christian life all locked down, and then when we dont, our faith-walk hits a point of crisis.

Any Christian can and probably will face this. Sometimes we have questions and concerns and cant get answers. I remember a time like that shortly after I started following Jesus. I was going deeper in my faith but facing difficult temptations, wrestling with tough questions, and not always finding the answers so easily in the Bible. I believed God had the answers, but I couldnt seem to break through. It was a major struggle for me until God reminded me of a verse I had read before.

Its amazing how a few words at the right time can answer every question. For me those words came from Matthew 6:33: Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. The verse is found in the Sermon on the Mount, right as Jesus tells us that God will take care of all our needs. And thats when it hit me.

If I put God first, Id have the answers I needed or at least peace in the midst of unanswered questions. It was a game changer for me spiritually. Matthew 6:33 was like a compass for me, pointing the way. With it, I always knew the way forward, even if everything else in life didnt make much sense at the moment. As a result, my walk with God became much more confident and assured, and other pieces of my life began to fall into place as well.

But what does it mean to seek Gods kingdom first? I answer that question in The God-First Life, but I want to add to that answer here. Im hoping that in this forty-day devotional you will discover concrete ways to apply the foundational truths of The God-First Life. We will do this by taking a deeper look at the parables of Jesus and learning from the stories he shared with us.

WHAT IS THE KINGDOM?

When you read the Gospels, you find that while Jesus talked about the kingdom of God, there was never a single definition for it. Instead, he described it using comparisons and metaphors. The kingdom is like this, he would say, or, The kingdom is like that.

For example, according to the parables of Jesus, the kingdom is like a pearl, like a field, like a mustard seed, like a lost coin, and like a lot of other things that dont sound like a clear definition. Surrounded by a group of people, Jesus started making comparisons and telling stories instead of just providing definitions.

Why did he do that? Its common to hear people say that Jesus taught with stories because we all learn better that way but thats only partly true. Some of the parables, such as the good Samaritan and the prodigal son, are great stories that have obvious lessons. But it may not be as easy to make such connections with some of the other parables that at first glance seem a little more vague. The truth is that Jesus is up to a lot more than just telling good stories.

Many people in Jesus day expected the Messiah to come and set up an earthly kingdom. If you remember the history, the Romans had come to Israel and were oppressing the Jews, Gods people. Surely he wouldnt abandon them to these cruel Gentiles. The Jews of Jesus day expected God to come and wipe the Romans out. But they were missing something: Jesus wanted to save Romans as much as Jews. God loves the whole world, and his plan didnt include an earthly kingdom that would free some people by killing others.

Gods plan was bigger than that by far. But how could he possibly get it across when so many people were stuck on this wrong way of thinking? Thats where the parables come in. Whats the kingdom like? Not what you think, answered Jesus. Its more like...

A NEW WAY TO THINK AND LIVE

After Jesus told the story of the sower, the disciples came to him and asked why he used parables to teach the people. Because people learn better with stories, right?

Wrong. Jesus didnt say anything like that. He actually used parables because he knew some people would understand his message and others might not. It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, Jesus said. But not so for everyone else; instead, they get colorful and sometimes confusing stories that they wont understand (see Matthew 13:11 17). What Jesus is saying is that his parables are for people who already believe. The stories are for those with open ears to hear and willing hearts to receive. They are for the church people like you and me.

Heres what I mean. Jesus knew that he couldnt just convince people of the truth with some sermons, even really good ones. You know what would convince the world? If his followers started living transformed lives based on the principles of this kingdom every day. Thats why Jesus told us to seek the kingdom first. When we pray the Lords Prayer, we pray that Gods kingdom would come. How does that happen? The kingdom comes in us as we put God first in our lives.

But if we are going to do that, Jesus couldnt explain it all to us with a program or an agenda. It wasnt about behavior modification or a list of what we should or should not do. He had to give us a new way of thinking, a new way of seeing the world. The parables have the power to reorient our expectations and priorities. If we meditate on them, they can ignite our imagination and transform our lives. We are going to do exactly that here.

THE NEXT FORTY DAYS

Living the God-First Life is a forty-day journey through the things Jesus said about the kingdom. To put this information into easy-to-follow rhythm, each day will focus on a passage to read, a point to ponder, a prayer to offer, and something to do