What Is Your Vision Of the Kingdom?

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Rev 21:4

Over the weekend, I was blessed to spend the weekend up at the Brant County Ultimate Frisbee Challenge where Brother Jay Mayock spoke on the topic “Looking for the Kingdom.” He brought us to multiple verses – on multiple topics – on what we can know it will be like in the Kingdom for sure.

It startled me. Until then, the kingdom had been something hazy – something that I knew will exist in the future, but I couldn’t describe what it would look like to anyone else with the support of verses. I knew it would be wonderful, and I had a hazy image of the Temple in my mind based on the artwork taken from its description in Ezekiel. But that was all it was. Hazy.

When Brother Jay took us through what the Kingdom will look like, he did it in two ways. He took us to verses that show how the world will be and he also took us to verses that show us a glimpse of the kingdom through the events of the lives of Bible characters.

Going through this study and these verses in the way Brother Jay had (lain/laid) them out for us – I could almost reach out and touch the vision that was forming in my mind. I was more excited then for the things that are to come than I had ever been in the past.

I resolved to strengthen my picture of the Kingdom. If I felt this much excitement over a few verses imagine what my joy would be over many more that I found on my own!

Prov 29:18 states: “Where there is no vision, the people perish:” (KJV).

It is hard to go through life trying to reach a goal without being able to picture that goal in your mind - even to the smallest of details. If you can see what you want to achieve clearly, and keep it in the forefront of your mind, taking the steps you have set for yourself to get there is so much easier.

When I think of someone in the Bible who kept their vision of the Kingdom of God at the forefront of their mind, I think of the Son of Korah who wrote Psalm 85. He writes at the end of the Psalm of God’s Glory and and salvation of His saints.

     8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,

    for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;

    but let them not turn back to folly.

9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,

    that glory may dwell in our land.

10 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;

    righteousness and peace kiss each other.

11 Faithfulness springs up from the ground,

    and righteousness looks down from the sky.

12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good,

    and our land will yield its increase.

13 Righteousness will go before him

    and make his footsteps a way.

Psa 85:8-13 (ESV)

This Psalmist made his vision personal. We can see that he focuses on what God will do for His saints in the time of the Kingdom (v. 8,9,11), and that the Kingdom will be ruled perfectly by Christ who is perfect (v. 10) - judging the wicked in righteousness and giving everlasting peace to the saints.

These particular aspects of the Kingdom of God meant a lot to this Psalmist, and must have helped him struggle through the terrible infidelity that the people of Israel demonstrated at this time. You can also see the echoes of the history of the sons of Korah and what their ancestor had done as you look at what he looks forward to in the Kingdom.

But the Psalmist is so passionate about these particular things. He wants these things o come to pass with such fervor. And he knows  that God will do these things in the time to come, and it helps him through the present.

My point is simply, make your vision your vision, and that it strengthens us to have one to look forward to.

I’m working on developing my own that will excite me for the time to come - because the Kingdom will be wonderful, and perfect - and I want to know all I can of what it will be like before it comes.

And I’ll ask:

What is your Vision of the Kingdom?

In the Hope of Israel, 

Mikaelah B 

"For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." Psalms 84:10

Making An Appointment With God

“And after he (Jesus) had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone” Matt 14:23

I wrote a similar post to this a few years ago called ‘Making Time for God’ where I mentioned that we need to set aside time for God. This post has that same idea, but I want to expand on this idea a little bit.

I think one-on-one time with the LORD is important. Classes given by others, and bible readings and prayers as a group are a fantastic way to look at God and learn something about Him that we may have never thought of before. But time alone with Him, it’s just as important, maybe even more so. Because salvation is personal. You must focus on your walk and your commitment and your own relationship with God. Because no amount of knowledge by itself will get you into the Kingdom of God if it doesn’t change you.

Personal time with God, when done correctly I think, will help build that singular relationship with our Father. We need to be able to see Him working in our lives for good, and how can we do that if we are not reflecting, not learning about who He is and what He is capable of?

David made time for God, even amidst the busy life of a King. Psalms 5:3 says “O LORD, in the morning You hear my voice; in the morning I direct my prayer to You and watch.” He chose the beginning of the day to sit and pray to God, and tried to do so every day.

And so did Christ, our perfect example. In Mark 1:35 it says “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he (Jesus) departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”
Christ took time to talk with his Father. During his busy ministry, he may have not found time alone to truly sit and talk with God, so he woke up early to make time for God.

My point here is not that we must make time for God in the morning (though there is a case to be made for starting your day with God), but simply that we need to make time for Him in the busy schedules of our lives.

A friend told me that we need to liken our time with God to a meeting with our boss at work. We would do everything in our power – waking up and leaving the house early, making sure nothing else is scheduled during that time – to make it to that meeting on time. And when we get to that meeting, we have brought with us our best – our best behavior, best attitude, and best work ethic.

This is a simple meeting with our worldly authorities. How much more then, should we be bringing to our time with God?

I want to prioritize the time that I take to learn more about God and what He is doing in my life to shape me in His image and likeness. But what are some ways that we should use our time with God, whenever that is? And how often should our time with God be “scheduled” during the week? Every day? Twice a week? Once? How much time should be in each “appointment”?

I don’t think the answer will be the same for everyone. I think you could make the argument for every day. But is 10 minutes of hurried thanks or praise better than the hour that someone could give once a week? Or is noticing and appreciating the things God does for us 5 minutes every day better than the hour and a half that we could devote to personal Bible study every Saturday morning?

I don’t know. And I don’t think there is necessarily a right or wrong answer.

I’m going to sit down this weekend and take a look at my schedule for the week and mark in some “appointments” with God. I think I’m going to try in the mornings before I have to leave for school. And because my classes start at different times, I’m going to make the “appointments” different lengths and see how that works this upcoming week. Maybe in two weeks, I’ll change it up.

I did brainstorm a list of things that I think I could use in my time with God in the next week. Some of them will require more time and some will require less, and some I might not find helpful to me, but hopefully, this list will help you brainstorm your own ideas of what you want to spend your time with God doing.
• Prayer
• Journaling
• Scripture writing
• Expounding on the week’s Characteristic of God
• Listening to a Book of the Bible while crafting, taking notes, etc.
• Personal study
• Maybe reading an exposition book

 I didn’t add Daily Bible Readings here, because, LORD willing, I will be doing this on top of already doing my daily readings. But that is a wonderful way to spend your quiet time with God!

What else can you think of besides these that you would like to start doing in your time with God?

In the Hope of Israel, 

Mikaelah B 

 "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." Psalms 84:10

Reclaiming Our Joy In The LORD

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? …” Psalm 42:11

Coming home from Manitoulin this year was rough.

Before leaving, I had made my Action Plan for Going home - just as I had every year previous. I had cleared my mind - removed the clutter of the world and cleared the cobwebs from the corners - ready to place in it things that were sanctifying to God. That week had strengthened old friendships and built new ones. And just like every year, I expected to come home ready to do those things on my Action Plan, I had expected to come home with the post-Conference high.

Instead, I came home with crushing disappointment.

As soon as I stepped out of my car, it was as if all of the clutter I had so meticulously cleaned out over the course of that week had instantly been shoved back in. The headspace I had promised to dedicate to God was instantly filled with what needed to be done: with school - it started in two days - with work - what were my hours again? - with my responsibilities at home - family was coming in from out of town in three days, the house needed to be spotless -

And the fact that these things had so easily swept back into my clear, focused, dedicated mind pummeled me. The walls that I had so carefully built shattered the second they were tested - before I even had time to prepare. All the work God, I, and others had done in building myself back into someone dedicated to Him was washed away in an instant.

And that, I think, is what brought me to my knees the night I got home. The staggering weight of disappointment that this was the world that I lived in, and no week away from it would prepare me upon returning. I didn’t live in the perfect world of Manitoulin Youth Conference - the one where Bible study was the priority and God was the topic of conversation. It was a glimpse into the life of the Kingdom, and I had to return to a world without it.

I think that is what brought me to my knees in prayer that night, though I didn’t know it at the time.

I don’t know if prayer is the right word, though. I had demanded of God to know why He had decided that this was the state, the mindset He needed me to be in. Why was this year so different than previous? I had come back with such a high then - why not now?

Why did He think this was best? It had been less than two hours since I had been home and already I felt like I was further away from Him.

Why did He think that this was a good idea? It was exactly the opposite of what I wanted. I wanted my entire mind and heart to be dedicated places to Him, why wasn’t He letting me feel this way?

The next couple of days were not any better, and while settling back into a routine I continued to question God’s reasoning in bombarding me. And I didn’t feel as if I was making any progress either - the joy that I had at Conference was gone. It hadn’t faded slowly like usual, it was snuffed out like a light and I didn’t feel like I was gaining any back - however small the amount.

What I didn’t lose was the determination. Even without the “spiritual high” I was determined to keep my relationship strong, determined to keep Him as my Rock and my Strength.

But how was I to go about strengthening my relationship with God (when I had no joy in doing so?) I had spent the week of Manitoulin doing just that - deepening my love for God and drawing my comfort from Him - but now without that heady joy, what was I supposed to do?

I found that without the passionate happiness brought on by a bible school, I turned to Him even more in search of comfort and of contentment.

But what could I do to reclaim that flame of utter happiness in God?

What are any of us supposed to do when our Joy in the LORD is departed?

I didn’t have the answer nearly three weeks ago, and I’m not sure I have much more of an answer now.

In hindsight, I know God was working through me to better me as His disciple, and I knew this even in the midst of the emotional whirlwind of the past few weeks. But what could I have done - what can we do - in the midst of this to help ourselves reclaim our Joy in the LORD?

Two and a half weeks ago, I messaged a friend, and this was his suggestion: stay positive, keep your friends of like-mindedness close, do things with them, and remember that God is working in you.

I sat and thought about his answer. How would I practically apply those suggestions? I wasn’t struggling with the knowledge that God is working in me to shape my character to be His (Rom 8:28; Heb 13:20-21). And I knew how to keep active with my friends in the Truth. But how was I supposed to “keep positive?” This was the exact thing I was struggling with.

I’m still figuring this out.

I’ve begun a couple of things to help me reclaim my Joy in the LORD. They are still rough ideas, and I don’t know how well they are working because I’ve only just begun, but here they are:

●      Journaling verses about Joy

●      Studying and praising a characteristic of God each Week (this week is: He is our Redeemer)

●      Starting up this blog again

●      Scheduling uninterrupted time with God

●      Continuing to read the scriptures continually

All of these things I’ll, LORD willing, talk about in the coming weeks, but I wanted to start this blog up again in the hopes of tracking my progress, sharing with others my process in hopes that you too can grow closer to God. Because Singing Psalms in the Thunderstorm is a skill we all have to develop - it takes time and it takes practice.

And the only way to practice is when God puts us in that Thunderstorm.

Before I signed off though, I wanted to add a few suggestions of my own:

●      We don’t always have to be happy. Jeremiah certainly wasn’t - look at the Lamentations we just read in the Daily Readings - and neither was David, or even Christ. So we shouldn’t expect to be happy at all times simply because we have God.

●      We need to appreciate these lows too. What can we learn about God from these times in our lives that God couldn’t have shown us if we were full of happiness as opposed to sorrow?

And finally, here are some verses that I have found comforting the past few weeks, and I hope that you can find strength from them as well.

●      James 1: 2-42  
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

●      Psalm 34:4
"I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears."

●      Psalms 34:6-7
"This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them."

●      Psalms 34:8
"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"

●      Psalms 34: 15
"The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
    and his ears toward their cry."

●      Psalms 34:17-20
"When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones;
    not one of them is broken."

●      2 Cor 4:8-9,16-18
"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; ...
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

●      Lam 3:22-25
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.”
The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
    to the soul who seeks him."

●      Lam 3:31-32 
"For the Lord will not
    cast off forever,
but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
    according to the abundance of his steadfast love"


Rom 8:28 - "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."


Heb 13:20-21 - "Now may the God of peace ... equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

“...Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.” Psalms 42:11

In the Hope of Israel, 

Mikaelah B 

 "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." Psalms 84:10