“But seek first the Kingdom
of God”: As believers we are commanded to
be continually seeking, as the first order of importance, God and His Kingdom. This
“command to continuousness” is found in numerous passages where the Greek word
zeteo is translated “seek” using the Present Imperative Active grammatical
structure. Zeteo means “strive to find” and in the Present Imperative Active is
a command to do something which involves continuously repeated action into the
future. Literally, we are to continuously strive to find God and His Kingdom.
This “command to continuousness”
is also seen in the passages exhorting believers to speak, pray, sing, and
worship in tongues. This continual flow of communication from the believer’s
heart to the Father’s heart can only be accomplished with tongues that
circumvent the mind which, of necessity, must be engaged in the activities of
daily life. Years back, there was a very popular book called “God Chasers” which
described a lifestyle devoted to chasing after God, in particular the
manifestation of His presence. This lifestyle of pursuing God can be seen in
these commands to continuously yield to the tongues of the Holy Spirit. God is
said in the scriptures to be seeking for only two things, worshipers and people
who are seeking Him. Isn’t that amazing! And of the latter He says “and I will
be found of them”, and that “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek
Him.” So the God who wants us to continuously seek Him is, at the same time,
continually pursuing us, and has promised that all who seek Him will find Him.
The scriptures promise that God “rewards those who diligently – steadily,
earnestly, and energetically – seek Him”. And this “seeking Him” is likewise a
command to continuous activity. God is making a strong point here. He is
challenging us to peruse Him at all times and providing the only way this can
be done -- by releasing the Holy Spirit to speak through us spirit to Spirit.
He who approaches God has,
through faith, the assurance that his continuous searching for God will result
in good to himself. God’s beneficent will toward seekers is not always apparent
at the first approach, thus the need for faithful perseverance, diligence in
seeking as with the parables “A
Friend Comes at Midnight” and
“Parable of the Persistent Widow.” God has declared to seekers, “and I will reward
them.” James declares, “Draw near to God
and He will draw near to you.” It is clear this reward can only be one thing –
Intimacy! Awesome! What better way to “seek first the Kingdom”, to “diligently
seek Him”, than by speaking to the Father in the tongues of angels – speaking
the words of the Holy Spirit. It is here that spiritual reciprocity -- two way
communication -- between our heart and the heart of God occurs. I will search
for God!
THE COMMAND TO CONTINUOUSNESS
(Heb. 11:6; Jn. 4:23; Jer. 29:13-14; Ps. 14:2, 53:2;
Deut. 4; 29; Matt. 6:33; 1 Chron. 28:9; James 4:8, Lk. 18:1-5; Lk. 11:5-8)
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