#151 THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS OUR LIFE 9-18-26
Jesus came preaching the kingdom of God. His message was not merely about getting people through this life and into the next. He called men and women to recognize the rule and reign of God in their lives. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). He taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). The kingdom ought to matter to us because the King matters to us.
THE PRIORITY OF THE KINGDOM
Jesus made the priority unmistakably clear: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). First means first. Before possessions, before popularity, before pleasure, before earthly ambitions, there is the kingdom of God. Jesus asked, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). The world may tell us to build our lives around what can be seen, touched, purchased, and possessed, but “the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). If the kingdom belongs to God, then it deserves first place in our hearts.
THE PURSUIT OF THE KINGDOM
The kingdom is not something we merely admire from a distance. We are called to pursue it. Jesus said, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate” (Luke 13:24). Paul told Timothy to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11). We pursue the kingdom when we pursue the character of the King. We seek His righteousness, obey His teaching, love His people, serve others, forgive those who hurt us, and “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7). Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). The kingdom is not merely a subject for Bible study. It is a life to be lived under the authority of Christ.
THE PROMISE OF THE KINGDOM
And here is the beautiful promise: the King does not call us to seek His kingdom without giving us hope. Jesus said, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). What a promise. The kingdom we seek is the kingdom God delights to give. Peter spoke of “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). Paul said that God “has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Colossians 1:13).
So let the kingdom come first in our hearts. Let us pursue it with our whole lives. And let us rest in the promise of the King. Earthly kingdoms rise and fall, crowns tarnish, possessions disappear, and human glory fades. But “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). We belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28).
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Father, help us to seek Your kingdom first, pursue righteousness faithfully, and live every day under the rule of Jesus Christ. Keep our eyes on things eternal and give us the courage to live as citizens of Your kingdom until we see our King. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
BDD
