Weekly Devotion no 11
12 June 2020
Bible reading – Matthew 6:9-13
9 ‘This, then, is how you should pray:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”
Reflection - Your kingdom come
The
second petition in the Lord’s prayer calls for the coming of God’s kingdom.
What
do we mean by God’s kingdom? If we think back to the garden of Eden, this was a
place that God created, it was his. The people he created lived there and they
lived under God’s rule, until they broke that trust with God, broke his rule
and therefore broke the relationship. So God’s kingdom post-Eden is the reestablishment
of God’s people in God’s place under God’s reign.
We
saw last week that, along with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, Jesus is
called LORD. The picture we see in Philippians 2 is of Jesus reigning over
heaven and earth. But with Jesus coming to earth, dying and rising again,
surely God’s kingdom has been established and has already come? For those who
accept Christ’s lordship, our relationship with God has been restored.
So
why pray for God’s kingdom still to come? God is a god of grace. He desires
that all should come to know Jesus as Lord. It will be when Jesus comes again
that the new heaven and new earth will be realised. Our relationship with God
now is a foretaste of what we will experience in the new creation.
This
idea of the kingdom of God being here now, but also not yet here has been
likened to the end of World War II. On D-Day, the Allied forces effectively won
the war. However, Nazi Germany did not unconditionally surrender until 11
months later on VE Day and there were many battles and lives lost between D-Day
and VE Day. Likewise, Jesus’ resurrection establishes his victory over death
and the restoration of our relationship with God. And when Jesus returns, we
will see him in his full glory.
Our
human kingdoms are often corrupt and fail to enable humans to live in harmony
and fairness. We can see that in so many of the countries around the world
right now. Only living under God’s reign will enable us to live in such a way that
respects our fellow human beings and brings glory to God. May God’s kingdom
come!
Hymn
Verse 1
Thy kingdom come, O God,
thy rule, O Christ, begin;
break with thine iron rod
the tyrannies of sin.
Verse 2
Where is thy reign of peace
and purity and love?
When shall all hatred cease,
as in the realms above?
Verse 3
When comes the promised time
that war shall be no more,
and lust, oppression, crime
shall flee thy face before?
Verse 4
We pray thee, Lord,
arise,
and come in thy great
might;
revive our longing
eyes,
which languish for
thy sight.
Verse 5
Men scorn thy sacred
name,
and wolves devour thy
fold;
by many deeds of
shame
we learn that love
grows cold.
Verse 6
O'er lands both near
and far
thick darkness
broodeth yet:
arise, O Morning
Star,
arise, and never set!
Lewis Hensley © 1867 Public Domain CCLI:69198
Prayer
Bountiful
God,
through
your Son you have called us to repent of our sin,
to believe
the good news,
and to
celebrate the coming of your kingdom:
teach us,
like Christ’s first apostles,
to hear
the call to discipleship,
and,
forsaking old ways,
to proclaim
the gospel of new life to a broken world;
through
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God,
now and for ever. Amen.
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