Seek yourself second – Matthew 6:33

By Sodwana Bay

Day 1 Seek yourself second… Matthew 6:33 – Amplified Bible “33 But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.” It’s now more than ever, amidst the uncertainty of tomorrow that we need to put aside the fickle things of this world and honestly and sincerely seek the Father’s heart. This which is happening around us today is nothing new – the bible is full of stories where Gods people are “tested” by circumstances that are totally out of their control.  These challenges aren’t sent by God – they are part of life – if you are alive you will face difficulties; you can bet on that. If you walked a strong solid walk with God, these “tests” will not be difficult for you – it will be a walk in the park, but like most of us – we aren’t always at the spiritual place/level we should be. Our Father is forgiving and understanding but He can’t do anything – you are the one which needs to come closer to Him. He is always near… So, when we are faced with these challenges – our first response is to act out and moan how awful things are because we do not understand and are not in sync with the Holy Spirit. Instead of submitting our path and knowledge to God we go into a full on childish tantrum mode and miss the whole point of the exercise. When things get rough in our lives, I constantly have to remind myself: You chose this path: Read the full chapter for context >Isaiah 43 The moment I made Jesus my Lord and Savior; I started walking away from the masses into Gods glory and his Kingdom. I chose a personal relationship with my maker. This will be hard as I am now busy on my journey of RENEWAL.  The renewal process is one of discovery and honesty and takes courage to be real and admit flaws and faults. I will be tested with water – rivers – fire and storms so that I can be purified! I will get through this… these things SHALL pass. Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. God is always ready to help: The moment you commit or choose to sin – there is ramifications – Good & Bad! God will forgive you but cannot just rip you out of the place/circumstances you are in right now. You will have to endure the storm – GO through it! But there is a Bonus – even though you might not feel his presence Jesus is right there next to you.  It might be time to slow down and surrender “thy self”… our “ego” closes our ears to His voice – to his calling. You might feel God is stripping all the most important bits from you but He is actually removing all the burdens from your life; the clutter, the half truths and filth of sin. If you will only allow Him – you will see the awesome results! Yes, the covid-19 is a real threat but it is time to understand our part to play in the “foreplay” of the coming of the one true KING – JESUS CHRIST. Realize this today – Our Messiah is coming back! I can’t say how long or when precisely, but JESUS is coming. The covid-19 and all the things which will follow have been predicted – so God gave you a heads-up so that you will not be full of fear… or in the dark for all that is coming. Prayer: Lord, I am a sinner and need you now more than ever. I submit/exchange my will – plans – hopes – dreams for your purposeful dreams and plans. Help me to see through your eyes – to see others as you see them. May my hands – feet – voice be all yours. I am yours, make with me as you please… Amen! Put your lives secondly so our Fathers Kingdom will come – Maranatha!!!   [wp-review]


You’re Built for Opposition @ Sodwana Bay

By Sodwana Bay

You’re Built for Opposition The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne—Revelation 3:21 Ever been in the middle of something tough, prayed for rescue, and heard . . . nothing? Ever questioned God, in frustration, “Why won’t you answer?” Could it be that God doesn’t always answer because, sometimes, he wants us to stay right where we are and learn, there, how to fight? Could it be that God sometimes allows trouble and pain to train us, to build our maturity, to make us more reliable conduits of his love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control? We often consider trouble and pain as unnecessary, to be avoided, hindrances to ease and happiness. Might it make more sense to consider trouble and pain as opposition, as a mountaineer views the pitch and the altitude, or as a linebacker views the block and the fake? We aren’t meant to be men who avoid opposition, numb it or deny it. We aren’t meant to run from battles, to hide and to let others fight. We’re built for opposition. Truthfully, we’d probably wither without it. We must see it, though, for what it is: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Our struggle is against being lured into selfishness, indifference, impatience, rage, resignation, or sin in the face of problems at work, or in our finances or relationships or families. These are epic struggles—battles worthy of any man. Okay, so what do we do? God doesn’t always take opposition away, brother, because he’s built you to conquer, not to cower. And he’s given you everything you’ll need. Spend time this week reading and meditating upon Ephesians 6:10-17. Write out what the words mean to you, personally, practically.