Kingdoms

Submitted by Lara Cook

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

Kingdoms.  There are all kinds of kingdoms in our lives.  We build them and rule them.  We sit on the throne and wave our invisible scepters so that all within our kingdoms will submit and everything will perfectly fall into place. That is exactly how is happens in my perfect little life. How about you?

A kingdom is not just a piece of land bordered by a wall, or a boundary.  We make many things our “kingdoms” in our lives.  The official definition of a kingdom found in The Free Dictionary is: 1.) A political or territorial unit ruled by a sovereign. 2.) The eternal spiritual sovereignty of God or Christ/the realm of this sovereignty. 3.) A realm or sphere in which one thing is dominant. The first definition basically says that a kingdom is a territory where only one sovereign can be in charge. One ruler, one king, only one.  That means that if I build up all these different kingdoms in my life and I think I am letting God be in control while I have a death grip on the scepter in my hand, I am only fooling myself.

The third definition above also says that a kingdom is a realm where only one thing can be dominant.To me that means that both God and I cannot be the dominant thing in my Kingdom.  We can’t both be in control and both be on the throne.  As long as I am seated

The Heaviness of the Invisible 

The invisible scepter we rule our kingdoms with are heavy.  I don’t know about you but I am so tired and this scepter is not even mine to begin with.  If I truly want God to be in control of my life, I have to lay it down at His feet.  I have to relinquish my position, I have to give it all up and lay it all down, once and for all.  The heaviness comes from trying to do something that I cannot, and should not, do in my own power. What happens to our kingdoms when we try to rule them ourselves?  They crumble and they burn up into ashes. Our kingdoms fall when the foundation is not firm.  Our kingdoms fall when they are hollow inside, a shell of pretense in which we attach our identity.   

In the End - This

It comes down to this - all the kingdoms I build will eventually cease to satisfy. They become empty, bland efforts to produce the ever sought after feelings of happiness and fulfillment. Being on the throne, waving the scepter, and collecting whatever it is that I try to fill the void with will all pass away. Not only will they only produce a desired affect for a tiny blip in the grand scheme of eternity, but they will pass away. All things of this earth, and not of God, will fade. He and fulfillment from Him and the things of His kingdom are the only elements of lasting and eternal happiness and fulfillment. They do not fade away. They do not rust like the hinges of our earthly kingdoms. So, relinquish the throne you inhabit and lay down your scepter. Let the one, true King have reign over your life. Once and for all, lay it down.

Scripture to Claim: 
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. Luke 21:33