Today’s New Covenant nugget is from Ecclesiastes 5:16-17 (NLT)
People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind. Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.
Sadly, this passage of scripture is the reality for many people… they live their lives under a cloud – frustrated, discouraged, restless and angry… they are not content, and they do not have any lasting joy and peace in their lives.
The context of this passage describes people chasing after money to bring them contentment in life… no matter what you may be chasing after… only ‘chasing after’ God brings contentment! Chasing after money, success, things, and everything that you do not have will only make you frustrated, angry and restless, and it will blind you to anything good in your life.
Jesus addressed this problem, in Matthew 6:33 He said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all of these things will be added unto you.” The words, ‘His righteousness’ could also be translated, ‘His righteous cause’, and a better translation of, ‘added unto you’ would be, ‘will pursue you, overtake you and be given to you besides’.
So, in everyday English, Jesus said, “if you would chase after My kingdom and My righteous cause instead of the things that you need and want, everything that you have ever needed or wanted will begin to pursue you until it overtakes you… “ instead of us chasing after things, things would chase after us.
When we PRIORITIZE the kingdom of God and the righteous cause of Jesus in EVERYTHING, then everything we would otherwise be chasing after, will chase after us. Someone who puts Jesus’ priorities above all else, never worries about stuff, money or any need whatsoever!
Doing this is a matter of faith… prioritizing your money, your time, your prayers and your life around the needs of the kingdom, instead of bills, goals, and personal desires and dreams takes faith… “Lord Jesus, I let go of the pursuit of all of my personal goals, desires and plans, I let go of all personal ambition, and I prioritize all of my efforts, my time, my talents, my prayers, my creativity, my money and my assets on Your kingdom… for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
To the extent that Esther and I have done this over our thirty nine years of marriage, we have truly been pursued by more than we would have ever dreamed about… we have not lived in restless frustration, but in rest, peace, joy and abundance. We do not know worry, stress or lack of any kind… our lives are wrapped up in using all of our faith, all of our strength and all of what we have been given for Jesus, His priorities and His righteous cause… and as a result, we are blessed beyond description, we live in favor, and anything that we may need in the future, is in hot pursuit of us right now… glory be to God!
I encourage you to take stock of your life right now… re-prioritize everything towards the priorities of Jesus, and get ready for supernatural, miracle living, in Jesus Name!
In His amazing love, Nick
