another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. and there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. and like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. and as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. and as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. as you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. and in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. [daniel 2:39-44]
no human kingdom will stand. every human institution that has ever risen up has eventually fallen. in God’s sovereignty, he has set up kings and rulers, has given thrones and taken thrones away. the king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. [proverbs 21:1] no kingdom is outside of the sovereignty of the true King, and the true King will always show himself to be wiser, more powerful, more glorious, and eternal.
this everlasting kingdom of an everlasting King is the only kingdom worth building. under his unfathomable mercy and grace, he has chosen to use us to further his kingdom. in our hearts, in our homes, in our church, in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces, in our schools, and various other ways in our whole world. is this the kingdom you are building?
many things in our lives are proof of the kingdom we desire and love.
- how we spend our time
- how we use our money
- how we function in our workplace or school
- how we raise our children
- how we love our neighbors
- how we go about finding a spouse
- what we put into our minds
- how we present ourselves to others
- how we interact with the body of Christ
- how we submit to authority
- how much time we spend in front of the mirror
- how we react when we are wronged
what do these areas of your life say about the kingdom you are building? today, as you come into the throne room of an eternally sovereign, infinitely glorious King, confident only in the blood of Christ who allows you in, praise him for his kingdom! praise him for his power, might, goodness, and love! and ask for his own heart. to love the things he loves, and to hate the things he hates. ask for a renewed zeal for his kingdom. he hears you and he will answer!
~arwen eastman