When we misunderstand the scriptures, when we add words or meaning that God didn’t intend, we hurt our relationship with Him. It leads to an incorrect representation of God when we minister to other people.

It’s vital to ask the Holy Spirit to quicken the Word we read. He’s here in us to reveal the truth and remind of what Jesus has said.

One day I got corrected in my understanding of Mathew 6:33.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33, ESV)

I had an understanding that this means work for God and you will earn all that you need in life. I was imagining myself doing things for God and eventually getting a fortune based on my amazing service.

The image of a kingdom

However, after reflecting on this verse for a while, God started to speak to my heart.

I saw a kingdom where over the years all people stopped trusting that their king is good. Because of that, all turned their backs on him and some even started to actively rebel.

The king knew that He desires only good and loves his people. He was faced with some options to win back the trust of his people.

Idea number one: to train a group of faithful servants to debate and persuade people that the king is good. It would look like a discussion. Through reasoning and strong arguments, people would be challenged to turn their trust to the kind.

“Although it seems logically correct,” thought the king, “arguments don't win the hearts of people, only their minds.”

Idea number two: to send out the king’s sons and daughters from the castle to live among the people of the kingdom. Because his sons and daughters are born from him and grew up knowing their father intimately that he is truly good and wants the best for people, they can correctly represent him. In this way, the hearts of the people will be drawn back.

Intimate knowledge

Most of us would agree that the second option would take more time and work but it would be pulling out the root of the problem. If done right, it would create a chain reaction where people would spread the revelation of the goodness of the king to each other. Their heart experiences would expose the lies and radically transform their beliefs.

It’s very important for us as sons and daughters of the heavenly Father to know His heart in order to represent Him in the world truthfully.

“By the way,” the voice of the Holy Spirit in my heart interrupted my deep thoughts, “this verse doesn’t talk about reaching out to people.”

The comment shocked me! I read the verse again.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33, ESV)

Suddenly, I understood where I was wrong! Jesus wasn’t speaking about service to God!

A verse before He was saying that

…the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. (Matthew 6:32, ESV)

Jesus spoke about the search of God! Gentiles are committing their lives for the effort to get material substances to survive. We are called to set the effort to seek God. It has to be the main priority. Seeking God above all things will automatically allow us to trust Him and see provision for every need.

That also agrees with the context before and after!

The verse that before meant for me just working for God and earning what I need in life became seeking God and I will not lack in anything. What a powerful and freeing change!

The last argument

I had a problem with it, though… It felt too good to be true. I needed some kind of confirmation that it’s true.

Suddenly, this verse for the Old Testament popped into my remembrance:

The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:10, ESV)

David knew it all along. If it was true under the Old Covenant, it surely continues to be true in the New.

I got peace to embrace the relationship with God.

We get to know God by experience His goodness and love. This knowledge sets us free and fills us with the desire to do the same for others. By showing love, we automatically represent God as the good king to other people. After they get to know the king's children, they rush to tell the good news to others.

The anxiety stops, everyone notices that instead of fearfully storing goods for themselves they can trust the King who has more than enough to provide for everyone.