KINGDOM!

Continuing on the theme of the Lord’s Prayer …

“Your kingdom come.”
Matthew 6:10

Elections are just around the corner for those of us in the US of A. (Five more months of campaigning—Lord, have mercy!) Who knows who the successful candidate will be? Pollsters and pundits pontificate. Talking heads produce verbiage ad nauseam. Who will win? Who will lose?

I know one thing—whoever wins or loses, one thing is for sure: Our God never loses. Ever. His rule is not going to be determined by ballot boxes and majority votes.

And it’s coming—His kingdom. His reign is going to be established. It’s going to happen. The clock is ticking. God’s program is already being executed. His plans are already in place, already undergoing fulfillment. And to this grand finale of His kingdom, all history is moving inexorably.

God highly exalted Him,
and bestowed on Him the name
which is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow,
of those who are in heaven
and on earth and under the earth,
and that every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9–11

The King is coming! The kingdom is coming! The seer in Revelation depicts His grand arrival.

And I saw heaven opened,
and behold, a white horse,
and He who sat on it
is called Faithful and True,
and in righteousness
He judges and wages war.
His eyes are a flame of fire,
and on His head are many diadems;
… and His name is called
The Word of God.
And the armies
which are in heaven,
clothed in fine linen, white and clean,
were following Him on white horses.
From His mouth comes a sharp sword,
so that with it He may strike down
the nations, and He will rule them
with a rod of iron ….
And on His robe and on His thigh
He has a name written,
“King of Kings, Lord of Lords.”
Revelation 19:11–16

Praying “Your kingdom come,” reminds us that God is even now working to bring about His reign and rule on earth. God’s unchanging program, already set in motion.

The kingdom of the world
has become the kingdom
of our Lord and of His Christ;
and He will reign forever and ever.
Revelation 11:15

We may be in dire and desperate situations here and now, but take heart. A glorious eternity awaits us, soon. Pray with hope! Harrowing troubles? Agonizing trials? Tormenting tumults? The King is coming. The kingdom is coming! So pray with hope!

Soon is coming a day when there will be no more tears, no more sorrow, no more grief, no more distress, no more disease (and I’ll be out of a job!), and no more death.

And I heard a loud voice
from the throne, saying,
“Behold, the tabernacle
of God is among men,
and He will dwell among them,
and they shall be His people,
and God Himself
will be among them,
and He will wipe away
every tear from their eyes;
and there will no longer
be any death;
there will no longer
be any mourning,
or crying, or pain;
the first things have passed away.”
Revelation 21:3–4

Soon and very soon. “Your kingdom come.” God’s Program. Pray with hope!

We give You thanks,
O Lord God, the Almighty,
who are and who were,
because You have taken
Your great power
and have begun to reign.
Revelation 11:17

The King is coming. The kingdom is coming! Pray with hope!