While living in the jungle, I was a notorious pursuer of the promises in the Word to ease the rigorous life required to live interior…Don’t you just love promises? The circumstances of life, with its hurdles and opportunities, give us great comfort, if a promise comes with it. “
One day Ralph (who carried the heaviest load) in our jungle journey, gave me a promise after observing my daily activities with two little girls, the medical clinic with my missionary partner(Sue Gunsteens), the linguistic work, the washing of three dozen diapers (plus clothes) on a rock in the river, hanging three dozen diapers and clothes on a line in my back yard (at least twice in one day to avoid the rain clouds that threatened to soak it all again!), cooking meat and vegetables I had never ever seen or heard of, doing 4:30 to 9:30 hour days, and at the end of the day, with the house still full of people, putting Christina and Kim into bed with mosquito netting, carefully tucked tightly under their foam rubber mattresses…
It occurred to me that these non-stop, long days in 95-degree heat with 95% humidity gave me an excuse to pause and do my own thing. Just the thought seemed selfish and when I verbalized it, it sounded really wrong! “To him that knows to right and does not do it; to him it is sin.” Jas. 4:17 My faithful watchdog, Ralph, had been pitching in to lighten my load and realized that was not my REAL need.
Are you familiar with the promise that comes with that portion of Scripture that tells us not to worry becauseof God’s promise and provision for us. “Seek His kingdom (presence) and His righteousness and ALL these things (the list mentioned in the prior verses) will be given to you as well.” Matt. 6: 33 The… “all these things will be added unto you” sounded perfect!
BUT…this promise comes with a huge condition!
I was given a concise definition of what that condition meant and where I had dropped the ball. It was clear that the promise was contingent on my seeking the Lord first and foremost. “He (She) did evil because he(she) did not set his (her) heart to seek the Lord.” II Chron. 12: 14 I was robbing God and myself by not living in a state of “seeking and setting my heart on Him moment by moment.” I was too busy sacrificing the immediate on the altar of the permanent!
Evil is doing our own thing. We have two choices: Seek Him and the wisdom from above or seek the wisdom from below…which is Satanic, selfish, proud, envious, and everything EVIL. God’s will or Satan’s…there is no…MY WILLl! My will makes the choice of which master I will submit to.
Is your heart set first on seeking Him?
Let’s grab hold of God and ask Him for a passion to pursue Him…
“If you seek me with all your heart, You will find me.”
~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America. Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California. My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.
