Image courtesy of Karen Lafferty

Karen Lafferty's rent was due. Her car payment was, too. Having left a well-paying job to pursue a call to ministry, Karen began a journey into uncharted territory.

Believing that where God guides, He provides, Karen stepped out in faith. But now her savings were gone, and bills were due. She spent the day on the phone trying to stir up interest in guitar lessons. She didn't want to go back to singing in nightclubs. If only she could get a job where she could make money and still be involved in ministry, but nothing seemed to open up.

Karen went to a Bible study that evening. The pastor was teaching on Matthew 6. Karen remembers, "When he read verse 33, 'But seek first His kingdom,' I just thought, Yeah, that's the answer. So I went home … and my rent still wasn't paid—but my joy was back."

Karen picked up her guitar. The words of Matthew 6:33 began to fit the tune she played, and an "alleluia" descant took shape over the top of it.

Karen shared her new song at a youth service. It was easy to remember and caught on immediately. It was 1971, the height of the Jesus Movement, and people from all over the world were in attendance at Calvary Chapel in Southern California. When they returned to their native countries, they took "Seek Ye First" with them.

When Karen woke up the next morning, her rent still wasn't paid. But within days she received a letter that led to a check which paid not only her rent and her car payment, but also covered the cost of the Bible-training course she had hoped to take.

The next year Karen recorded her simple Scripture song on an early Maranatha! Praise album. By the time she felt the tug to missions in 1978, God had taken "Seek Ye First" around the world.

And as a testament to God's promises, and Karen's obedience to the words that she set to music, the royalties from "Seek Ye First" have provided 80 percent of Karen's income as a "musicianary"—for over 30 years!

"The song is the simplest thing I've ever done musically," Karen says today. "Anyone could have written it. I'm just grateful God allowed me to write it."

And live it.

Lyrics by Karen Lafferty, © 1972 Maranatha! Music. Karen's latest album, Multitudes: The Sound of Many Nations, is available at www.karenlafferty.com. Kim Jackson is a freelance writer and speaker living in Orlando, Florida.

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