“Loving Father, reveal yourself to those who seek you. Give them peace and reassurance of your presence and grant they find their home in you.”
““The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.””
Luke 17:20b-21 NLT
As I get older I easily forget where I have left things. It’s all very well knowing I need a key to start my car, yet no help at all if I cannot locate the key! Understanding and application are two distinct states of being. Here Jesus explains that the kingdom of God is more than a concept while not yet a tangible reality.
The fact is that the kingdom is visible wherever there is evidence of its existence. I grew up just outside London and travelled there often. I often passed Buckingham Palace with its uniformed soldiers on sentry duty. I knew this was a sign that the UK had a monarch. The royal standard flying from the flagpole told me the Queen was in residence. This was evidence to the reality of her majesty without ever my witnessing her in the flesh.
So it is with God’s kingdom. We choose to live with the reality of the kingdom before it is fully evident. You and I need to establish what flag we raise over our own life to indicate that God is in residence. What behaviours reveal our investment in the kingdom of God ahead of the kingdom of this world? Do we reflect the values of a world of impatience, materialism, selfishness and thoughtlessness? Or do we daily demonstrate the kingdom of God through our lifestyle?
I have learned that I must disengage from much of life both to discern the character of God’s kingdom and find the means by grace to produce evidence of my commitment to its emergence on the earth.
QUESTION
What fragments of God’s kingdom have you witnessed as you journey through life?
PRAYER
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, may my heart desire your kingdom above my own, your will not my will, and your purpose in all things. Give me eyes to discern your kingdom way, and hands that work in collaboration with your Holy Spirit to build that kingdom here on the earth. I entrust myself to you once more this day.
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