Listening to the News While Waiting for His Kingdom

"Mimi, turn it off!" I had been listening to the radio when the news came on. What my grandchildren heard caused them to respond in horror. First there had been the story of a man who had held three women captive in his basement followed by a story of a doctor who had killed babies with a snip of his scissors. I pushed the button quickly and turned it off.

Listening to the news I thought about the contrast between what is happening in our world and the sermon on the mount where Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven. I whispered the prayer that so often enters my heart, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." I am struck as I often am by the now but not yet aspect to the kingdom of heaven.

I see the "now" of the kingdom when I read in Ephesians that when we were dead in our trespasses and sins, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, God had mercy on us. My mind goes back to what I heard on the news and I marvel that God could love us with such a great love that even when we were dead in our trespasses He made us alive together with Christ-- purely by His grace-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places. When I received this gift of grace through faith I also became part of his kingdom.

"Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Daily I seek to line my heart up with His will but there is more to the kingdom of heaven than that, there is the "not yet." When I read in Revelation about the kingdom that is coming I read, "'Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.' Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they my enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood."(Revelation 22:12-15)

Lord Jesus, I believe that there will come a day when You will reign, "where'er the sun doth his successive journeys run; your kingdom stretch from shore to shore, til moons shall wax and wane no more." I pray today that You will reign in my heart.