"Great-Grandaddy"

He came into this country,

Had nothin’ but his horse,

The sense the Good Lord gave him,

And the will to work of course.

By the time he hit his nineties,

A hundred sections strong,

A rancher and a cattleman,

He learned to get along,

With high weather and low prices,

And the neighbors goin’ bust,

The taxes and the government,

That always seemed to lust,

For more of what he worked for,

But he kept a steady hand,

Believed if you stuck with it,

And steward well the land,

The effort that you gave it,

And the honesty you showed,

The prayers that you prayed for it,

And all the seeds you sowed,

Would one day rise and bless you,

He lived out that old code,

Keep your word, do or die,

And carry your own load.

The grand-kids and great-grandkids,

All loved to see him smile,

To them he was like Moses,

They knew in just awhile,

That he would soon cross over,

The cowboy rides away,

Many gathered with him,

They came good-bye to say.

In visions as he lay there,

The grass was belly deep,

The country was well-watered,

He was riding hills so steep.

And it seemed the light was brighter,

After every hill he passed,

Then he heard the music and the singing,

Knew it was time at last.

One last hug for everybody,

One last thankful prayer,

He raised up tall and looked across,

Saw Jesus standing there.

He was holding saddled horses,

One was white from tail to mane,

The other was a buckskin,

And it was very plain,

That the Lord was waiting for him,

And they’d forever ride,

In those blessed pastures,

Forever side by side.

No matter our success in life,

Or the acres we acquire,

Above all we remember,

The final call is higher.

So seek first the Kingdom,

With God’s help do your best,

Amazing grace will save us,

And give us heaven’s rest.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33, NLT)

Life is about habits that are developed by setting priorities and living them out on a daily basis. This is the life that flows from the grace we receive by faith. We cannot earn our salvation, but when we have received it, the Lord helps us seek the Kingdom of God above everything else. What does this mean exactly? It means we seek to enthrone Jesus as the Lord of every aspect of our lives. His reign becomes our highest priority, and obedience to His will our greatest joy. Seeking the Kingdom first positions us to receive God’s highest and best blessing.

Lord, help us to make Your Kingdom our highest priority, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Alfredo Rodriguez, alfredoartist.com, used by permission. Thanks, Alfredo, and God bless you.