August 26, 2013

Hebrews 12: 28 Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? (The Message Bible)

We had the roof replaced on our Sunday School building this summer. It was quite an undertaking, first with raising the money, then choosing a contractor, and finally getting enough rain free days in a row that the old roof could be removed and a new one put on without more water damage. As all this was going on my mother broke both her legs and is now trying to rebuild her body in a rehab facility. So, in many ways my life this summer has focused on buildings and bodies. What I’ve noticed is that they both wear out. We try hard to keep them strong but they deteriorate and need to be refurbished or replaced. If that was all there is to life, bodies and buildings, it would surely be a losing battle. The writer of Hebrews saw that things in this life get shaken and crumble, but for him this just provided a contrast with the unshakable kingdom God creates through Jesus. We are tempted to spend our time, energy and money maintaining externals. God tells us that the externals are all well and good but they are only temporary and need to give way to something stronger, something better, something internal. For this we can truly be thankful. When we experience our buildings and bodies decline we need not panic. There is an unshakable kingdom to come (Thy kingdom come). While physically we live in the fading kingdom of bodies and buildings, spiritually we can also live in the kingdom of purpose and prayer. Which kingdom will you live in this week?