Today we have little awareness of the reality of a heavenly kingdom. The predominant way of the culture is to live for the moment. Before Jesus showed up on the scene, the Jewish people were consciously waiting for the Messiah. In that culture, the subject of Messiah was top of mind. When John the Baptist came preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” many of the people were ready for the message. Some saw the reality of heaven’s message; while others couldn’t. It was then—and is today—a matter of values; what we set our heart on. For what we set our heart on will determine our purposes and priorities.
God is always speaking, preparing us for new things; new challenges and new opportunities. We can only receive new things from God, however, if we are willing to be open to change. It’s also a matter of being attentive to His voice and observant of spiritual things.
RELEVANCE
Although the concept of Heaven was familiar to Bible characters from the beginning, the prophet Daniel connected with the reality of a Kingdom of Heaven in a big way. What stoked the fire within him to perceive the reality of Kingdom issues? His passion to see his people set free from captivity in Babylon fueled the fire within him. His heart was stirred. He made a point to spend time with God three times daily, diligently seeking Him in prayer. As a result, he found himself contending with the king of Babylon.
When Jesus came onto the scene, He made it known that His mission was to bring the reality of the Kingdom of God and heavenly culture to the forefront of peoples’ minds.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the Kingdom of heaven…Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3-10).
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:31-34).
I love how Eugene H. Peterson puts it in The Message: “Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions… You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.”
Jesus made a real key point here. He encouraged people to shift emphasis from self-interest to Kingdom interest; and likewise from worrying about temporal things to being focused on eternal things—the “weightier matters.” He related how the Father always has the interest and concerns of His children in mind. Therefore, we should set our priorities and focus on heavenly matters; loving and seeking God and loving and serving others.
REFLECT AND RELATE
What comes to mind when you think about a Kingdom of God culture?
How can you prepare yourself to receive new things from God?
What shifts might you need to make to change focus?
REFERENCES
Daniel 2:44; 4:26-37; Matthew 6:10; 7:21-23; 13:10-11