“Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy domination endureth throughout all generations.” Psalm 145:13
Dear Ones:
Jesus told us to, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” What does He mean by this? First of all, let us address the meaning of the kingdom. With regard to its nature, origin, and content, we come face to face with Christ’s words in declaring, “My kingdom is NOT of this world.” In other words, though we might have some ideas of what the kingdom of God is, and how it functions, we always are at fault because we take our “knowledge” from that which we see in this world, primarily the result of the ideas and works of sinful man…whose leaning is always away from God. So, where do we begin? We begin with the King Himself…Christ.
We know that one day Christ will return to this earth as “the Lord of lords, and the King of kings.” The primary characteristic of the King is His authority. In the case of the Lord Jesus, our consideration must go much further, for in that matter of authority there is revealed the power to BE the great and wonderful God that He is. He reigns in order to give life and blessing. He is not an evil despot, whose intent is to inflict harm and suffering on his subjects. On the contrary, He has come to give Life, and this by the Spirit in abundance. The whole of the Person of Christ is GOOD…there is nothing less than goodness in Him. It is where His kingdom IS, where He reigns, that the blessings of His Life and salvation, are felt and known most powerfully.
Do we SEE the kingdom of God? In Jesus’ day on this earth, He made clear that the kingdom of God was a matter of the heart. It was to be WITHIN, not just present in its influence around us. It must be understood that this kingdom is like the wind, invisible. Yet, where it is believed in, and submitted to, there is the powerful effect of its working…just like the blowing of the wind. We might go so far as to say that where His kingdom IS, there is the increasing manifestation of His indestructible Life. As His kingdom endureth forever, so does His indestructible Life. This is Life Eternal, to KNOW this Life of Christ. And we do so in an ever-increasing manner as we “…seek first His kingdom,” His reign…and all associated with that Life. We in Christ (in that kingdom) and Christ in us as King and Lord..by the Spirit.
Dear Father, this day, though we do not SEE the kingdom, we see Thee…by faith. Strengthen our hearts to submit fully to Your authority, and that of Thy Son to whom we belong. Enable us to embrace all that is in Christ, in His kingdom, so that the effects will be known “on this earth, as it is in heaven,” and this for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad