“The government shall be upon His shoulders…of the increase of His government, and peace, there shall be no end.” Isaiah 9:6,7
Dear Ones:
When Jesus came to this earth, He came proclaiming “the kingdom of God, of heaven.” Why? Because where He reigns, rules, and is the supreme authority of our lives, His goodness is revealed. Isaac Watts gives us a glimpse of what this means in one of his hymns: “Blessings abound where-er He reigns: the prisoner leaps to lose his chains, The weary find eternal rest, and all the sons of want are blessed.” To understand the basis and blessing of the kingdom one has to begin at the beginning…with God. (Gen. 1:1) It is only as we delve into the revelation of the character of God that we shall see the character and intent of His kingdom.
In Genesis 1, we find the account of the creation…God’s creation. What we discover at every step and progression of the creation is that God declares it to be “good.” There is no fault or blemish in it, and it is altogether wholesome, beautiful, and pleasant to behold. The creation in its uniqueness, wonder, and beauty, was the expression and extension of God’s Person. We “see” and know Him by virtue of what He has made. There was but One who reigned over that creation in the beginning, and where He reigned, there was nothing but the manifestation of His goodness and blessing. It was only when the reign and authority of God was challenged, and refused, that another “kingdom” was established, the reign of which would result in suffering, sorrow, and death. What is most extraordinary is that, even in this context, when Adam and Eve turned away from the reign of Christ, God made a “good” and perfect provision for their salvation, their eternal blessing. It would be the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, which would deal with all our sin. With that sacrifice would come a promise of LIFE, eternal hope, and limitless blessing. God would give the Spirit of God, Himself, to come and dwell in the heart, to reign there. Not only would that reign result in present blessings of love, joy, and peace, but in the conviction and assurance of Life Eternal with Him. His reign established in the heart would be the beginning of blessing, not only for the believer, but for the whole world. Remember God’s promise to Abraham concerning his seed: “…in thee shall ALL the families of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 12:3)
What the does it mean for us, on this side of Eden, to “seek first the kingdom of God?” Again, we begin with the King…the Lord Jesus Christ. With the knowledge of our sin and selfish independence of God, there is the revelation of a Redeemer who is waiting to hear the cry of the heart to be saved, cleansed, filled with the Spirit, and led in life, so that the goodness of the Creator and Savior, will be seen and known. It will be as we receive the grace and mercy of God, because of the manifest love of God, to yield our lives, heart and soul, mind and will, to Christ, that He comes to reign today. With His coming to reign comes the blessing of that which is good in all of its dimensions. The greatest revelation of that goodness is the Love of God in Christ, by the Spirit.
Dear Father, we would be wholly Thine, for when the Lord Jesus’ reigns, there is Thy blessing on this earth, for Thy glory. Come Lord Jesus this day, and reign is us. Accomplish in us all of Your blessed and good will, which will be for Your glory, and for the greatest blessing of others. “Love through me, Love of God, There is no love in me, O Fire of love, light Thou the love, that burns perpetually.” We thank Thee, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad