THY KINGDOM COME!.....DAY BY DAY

Some of the disciples of Jesus would fit perfectly well into our instant gratification society. Following his 40 days of post-resurrection meetings with his them, as he was about to ascend into heaven, they asked Jesus if he was going to restore the kingdom to Israel now. “Is this the time?” they asked. Jesus replied that they didn’t get to know that kid of information, because timing was the Father’s business. But he went on to tell them what they did need to know, and that was his agenda for them: “…be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.” Though they may not have comprehended what “the ends of the world” fully meant, it did sound like a rather long term time consuming job.

 It wasn’t going to be done today. They were going to need some day by day spiritual resources. That’s why Jesus told them to go back to Jerusalem and wait for those resources to come, in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. They did just that, and the Holy Spirit did come. Following that they spilled out into the streets and by-ways, and began the task of bringing his kingdom to bear upon earth---day by day.

I don’t know exactly how many days have passed since that one---just a lot. But I do know that the commission upon God’s people to make his kingdom evident and active on earth has not been lifted. We still need to be at it day by day.

That doesn’t have to happen in great and grandiose ways. Of course we can contribute to or assist in any way we can efforts to bring peace and justice on earth, eliminate suffering wherever we can, and by all means support efforts to bring the good news of the gospel to all nations.

But there are dozens and dozens of day by day ways right next to us where we can help bring his kingdom to earth. These have to do with family relationships---spouse with spouse, parents with children, siblings with siblings, and on and on. It also has to do with how we treat our neighbors, how we spend our money and time, and how we take care of our earth, just to mention a few…and there’s no other way these can be done than day by day.

There are of course all kinds of other things we have to do on a day by day basis. Life is so…daily. But even as we live and move and have our being, let us as God’s people work day by day to bring in his kingdom.

 

More later....

But for now, dear God, help us not to be in so much of a hurry that we miss even the smallest thing we might do that will help bring in your kingdom.... day by day. Amen.