“Many of us want the joy of God without surrender to God. Seek God First” - Matty Finlay
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
- Matthew 6:33
Being a dog isn’t all that complicated.
When I wake up, I already know what’s first.
Breakfast.
Not second.
Not third.
First.
Now, my human has this strange habit.
Every morning he walks right past my food bowl, right past the coffee pot (well… almost right past it), and settles into that old chair with that beat up Bible in one hand and his coffee yeti in the other.
I have to admit, I’ve looked at him more than once as if to say, “You’re doing this all backwards.”
After all, an empty stomach is an emergency.
At least that’s what I keep telling him.
So I wait.
Sometimes patiently.
Sometimes with a sigh loud enough for the whole house to hear.
Every now and then I even rest my chin on his knee, just to remind him there is a hungry member of the family wasting away before his very eyes.
He’ll smile, scratch behind my ears, and keep reading.
Yet… I’ve learned something while lying at his feet.
He’s feeding the part of him that breakfast can’t touch.
By the time he closes that Bible, something has changed.
The worries he carried into the room don’t seem quite so heavy.
His words are softer.
His smile comes easier.
Even when the day throws him a curveball, he doesn’t seem rattled quite as much.
It’s as though spending time with the Good Shepherd reminds him that one sheep doesn’t have to figure out the whole pasture.
I’ve watched people long enough to know they chase all kinds of things.
Money.
Success.
Likes.
Promotions.
Bigger houses.
Newer trucks.
Busier calendars.
Dogs chase squirrels.
Truth be told, most of us never catch what we’re chasing.
Jesus said the secret isn’t to chase more.
It’s to chase Him.
“Seek first the kingdom of God…”
First things have a funny way of putting the rest of life in order.
Oh, breakfast still comes.
Bills still have to be paid.
Grass still has to be mowed.
I still bark at the delivery truck like it’s invading the neighborhood.
But when Jesus is first, everything else finds its proper place… with joy leading the way.
Well… I hear my human saying amen and closing his Bible.
That usually means breakfast is next.
I guess waiting wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
Besides, I’ve learned something lying at the feet of my master while he sits at the feet of his.
That’s probably the best place for either one of us to be.
Prayer: Lord, forgive us for letting so many things crowd You out of first place. Teach us to seek You before we chase anything else. May our hearts rest at Your feet, trusting that You know exactly what we need. Amen.
Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem
