A true story by D. L. Moody
I talked one day to a man who was weeping. I asked him what the trouble was and he told me a very strange story. When he started out in life, he left his native village and went to a town to find something to do, but was unsuccessful. He went to a little church the first Sunday he was there and the minister preached from the text, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God” (Matt. 6:33). He thought the text and sermon were for him. He wanted to get rich, and when he was settled in life he would seek the kingdom of God. The next Sunday he was at another village, and it was not long before he heard another minister preach from the same text, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.” He thought surely someone must have spoken to the minister about him. But he said when he was settled in life and had control of his time and was his own master, he would then seek the kingdom of God.
After a while he was at another village, and he had not been going to church for long before he heard the minister preach, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all other things shall be added unto you.” He said it went right down into his soul, but he calmly and deliberately made up his mind that he would not become a Christian until he was settled in life and owned his farm. He said to me, “I am what the world calls rich. I go to church every Sunday but I have never heard a sermon from that day to this day that has ever made any impression on my heart. My heart is as hard as a stone.” Tears trickled down his cheeks as he spoke. I was young and did not know what it meant. But when I was converted I thought I would see this man and preach Christ to him when I went back home. When I did go back home I asked my mother if he was still living at the same place. She said, “He is mad and is in the insane asylum; and to everyone who goes to see him, he points his finger and says, ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God.’ ” I thought about seeing him but he was so far gone that it would have done no good. The next time I went home he was at his home, idiotic. I went to see him and said, “Do you know me?” He pointed his finger at me and said, “Young man, seek ye first the kingdom of God.” God had driven that text into his mind but his reasoning was gone.
Three years ago, when I visited my father’s grave, I noticed a new stone had been put up. It was my friend’s. The autumn wind seemed to whisper, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.” – Slightly condensed and revised
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” – 2 Corinthians 9:22b