When His Priority Becomes Mine
Setting the destination first so every turn finds its place.
Devotional Credit
Open Windows, T. Austin-Sparks, The Most Difficult Thing in the World. Key text: Matthew 6:33.
Photo Credit
Unsplash
We are invited to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and the promise is that everything else finds its place. T. Austin-Sparks points out how tangled our motives can be. We want Jesus to have what He wants, yet our own interests sneak in. The Lord kindly brings a sharp dividing line between soul and spirit so we can live for His pleasure with a clear heart.
This is not about erasing a self. It is about Jesus living His life through those who belong to Him. When His interests become the governing center, faith grows steady. Anxiety loosens. Choices become simpler. The question shifts from what advances me to what delights Him.
Austin-Sparks reminds us that Israel wandered because their focus drifted from God’s desire to their own comfort. The lesson still serves us. Victory is not louder effort. It is yielded trust. It is setting our whole attention on the Lord’s purpose, then walking forward as He supplies.
Friend, I am writing as a fellow traveler. I know how easily plans, timelines, and worries pull on the heart. Today we can rest the weight of our decisions on Jesus. We can say with quiet confidence, Lord, Your kingdom first, Your way first, Your pleasure first, and we can expect Him to carry it out within us.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I am with you and in you. Set your mind where Jesus is, seated at the right hand of God, because your life is hidden with Him. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. Let My word discern the intentions within, dividing what is merely soulish from what is born of My Spirit. Consider yourself alive to God in Jesus and present yourself to Me.
I work in you to will and to do for the Father’s good pleasure. Abide in the Son. Apart from Him you can do nothing, but united to Him you bear fruit that remains. Trust Me with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Me and I will make straight your paths.
You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, since My Spirit dwells in you. The life you now live in the body you live by faith in the Son of God. He died and rose, so that you no longer live for yourself, but for Him who for your sake died and was raised. Rest in My working. Yield your plans. I will lead you in the peace of obedience and the joy of belonging.
Real-Life Analogy
Before driving, you open your maps app and type the destination first. Once the destination is set, every turn, every lane change, and every time adjustment flows from that one choice. If you skip that step and just start driving, you may move a lot, but you are likely to wander.
In the same way, the Holy Spirit within us sets the destination on the Father’s will. When His kingdom is the first input, our words, our schedule, and our responses align. Try this today in something concrete. Suppose a tough conversation is coming with a team member or family member. Before you speak, quietly aim the heart: Lord, I entrust this conversation to You. Express Your patience and truth through me right now. Then walk into it expecting Jesus to supply His tone, His timing, and His wisdom through you.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that in Jesus I already have Your kingdom, Your righteousness counted to me, and Your Spirit living in me. Thank You that You are working in me to will and to do for Your good pleasure. I agree with You about my identity. I am alive to You in Your Son. I present myself to You for Your purposes today. Order my steps. Set my aims on what delights You. I receive Your peace as I follow, and I rejoice that every need is met in Christ.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Matthew 6:33; Colossians 3:1-4; Hebrews 4:12; Romans 6:11; Philippians 2:13; John 15:5; Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 8:9-11; Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 5:15