EVERWEST DEVOTIONAL #17 | Seek Him First

Scripture

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” — Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

Reflection

Lately, I’ve been wrestling with the stillness surrounding Everwest. God called me into this season before the business launched and became operational, not so I could rush ahead, but so I could slow down and spend intentional time in His Word, growing closer to Him. Still, on the surface, the lack of visible progress can feel uncomfortable. I often feel a quiet guilt creeping in, the pressure to do more, to grind harder, to prove progress. Compared to how most founders operate, it felt backwards. And at times, it felt wrong.

That tension pushed me into trying to fix the stillness myself. For a few weeks, I unintentionally put God on the back burner and tried to fill the stagnant space by creating motion. I started exploring an Everwest apparel line, new accessories, and additional product ideas to launch alongside the bags. None of those things were bad on their own, but they were taking time and attention away from God. What looked like productivity on the outside was slowly pulling my focus away from the very One who called me here in the first place.

That pressure built heavily one particular week. The enemy was persistent, whispering that time spent with God, in scripture or prayer, was time wasted, that I should be filling every spare moment with something that looked like progress. Growth was being measured by output instead of obedience.

One night, laying in bed wide awake after my wife had already fallen asleep. Instead of reaching for distraction, I started praying, asking God to speak, to fill me with His Spirit, to remind me that He was near. And in that quiet moment, Matthew 6:33 flooded my heart, clear and steady: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

It felt like God gently cutting through the noise: Don’t let the enemy distort what obedience looks like. Keep pursuing My Kingdom first, and I’ll handle the rest. It was as if He put His arm around me and said, You focus on growing closer to Me, I’ve got the rest. That moment changed everything. The pressure lifted. The guilt faded. I was reminded that progress in God’s economy doesn’t always look like motion, it often looks like trust.

For us believers we need to realize that seeking Him first isn’t wasted time or delay; it’s the foundation. When we put God at the center, we’re not falling behind, we’re aligning ourselves with the only One who can truly provide what we need.

Application

You may be feeling the same tension, caught between faithfulness and productivity, obedience and outcomes. Maybe you’re tempted to believe that seeking God should come after you’ve taken care of everything else. But Jesus tells us the opposite. When we seek God first, above success, security, timelines, and expectations, He promises to take care of what we can’t.

Let this verse be an anchor today. Keep pursuing Him. Keep choosing presence over pressure. Trust that as you put His Kingdom first, He is already at work handling the rest.

Prayer

Lord, help us to seek You first, above our plans, our fears, and our need for control. Quiet the voices that tell us we’re falling behind, and remind us that obedience to You is never wasted. Teach us to trust Your timing and Your provision, knowing that You are faithful to take care of all we need. All this in Jesus name, amen.

If there’s someone in your life who might be encouraged by this, or future devotionals, please share it with them or subscribe them here. You can also find past devotionals here.

- Jake Bunz, Founder

PRODUCT LAUNCH COMING SOON 🤠