God’s kingdom is the heartfelt longing of every person who desires relief from the world’s misery. Whether that misery is sin or sickness, immorality or mortality, supernatural oppression or natural disaster, God’s kingdom is the only cure. When is it coming? In first-century Palestine, faithful Jews longed for God’s kingdom. Not only did they desire salvation from sin, they also desired political liberation from imperial Rome and spiritual release from an often corrupt Temple priesthood. They believed that when God established his kingdom, all things would change immediately. The present age would give way to the future age, and God … Continue reading Day 17: The Past, Present, and Future Kingdom

When we pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10), our prayer is urgent. God does not reign on earth. His will is not done here. And it shows. Several Christmases ago, my mother gave me a copy of a nineteenth-century lithograph by William Strutt. In the background, a city lies in smoking ruins. But in the foreground, a toddler leads a procession of animals: a lamb, a fox, a lion, a bear, a cow, a leopard, and a goat. The title of the lithograph is “Peace.” It draws its inspiration … Continue reading Day 16: Kingdoms in Conflict

God is our Father. He is also our King. Both images suggest something important about God. The first suggests parental care. So, when we pray, we focus on God’s powerful love for us. But the second image suggests political authority—the moral right and the actual power to rule us. It suggests that God has a right to expect our obedience and that we have a duty to serve him. Consequently, when we pray, we prioritize God’s agenda for our lives. That is what we mean when we say, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is … Continue reading Day 15: God Is Our King