What could be more wondrous to someone than that kingdom? A place where there are the three best lights of which one reads: the light of the King who bestows the kingdom, the light of the saints on whom it is bestowed, the light of the kingdom which is bestowed there. May we all reach that kingdom...

  - Anonymous, In Tenga Bithnua (Irish, 9th century)

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness..."

  - Matthew 6.33

Doubtless every believer in Jesus knows this verse. But how many live it?

What does "seek first" mean with respect to the everyday details of our lives? In what ways does the vision of Christ's Kingdom - as it one day shall be and as it comes progressively on earth - affect our thoughts, desires, priorities, and actions each day?

The Kingdom of God is a truly wondrous realm, where, by pure spiritual power, God brings to light the grace and kindness of the risen Christ in righteousness, peace, and joy. All who have begun to know the Kingdom of God - truly to know it - cannot get enough of it. They scour Scripture looking for references, seeking glimpses of the glory that is and is to come. They ponder the ways they may realize more of the presence of the Kingdom in their own lives. They seek the Kingdom by every available means, longing to know more of its wonders and power.

And, as a result, their lives betray the fact that they live in another realm than most of the people in their lives. They see the world from an eternal vantage point, and themselves as conduits through which the unseen realm makes itself visible on earth. They strive to shed the last remnants of the kingdom of darkness and to be clothed upon with the righteousness of the Kingdom of God's dear Son.

Is the Kingdom of God real to you? Is seeking the Kingdom - as a future reality, of course, but as an increasing presence in and through your life - the driving force of your every conscious moment?

The Kingdom of God has come. The Kingdom of God is unfolding on earth as it is in heaven. The Kingdom of God is Christ in His people, by His Spirit, according to His Word, making all things new.

Does this describe your life in Jesus Christ?

T. M. Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.