Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things shall be added to you (Matt 6:33, NKJV)

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Heb 11:1)

Faith in God provides your life with a stability that exceeds anything this world has to offer. What God has promised is precious, perfect, eternal, just, and untarnished by sin. God’s promises are an unshakeable foundation upon which you can build your life. They are a safe haven of rest where you will always find peace.

God’s promises are rooted in God’s character. God, the promise maker is the promise keeper. God will do everything he has said he will do. God, The Promise Maker alone has the power to turn every one of his promises into reality.

Picture an old fashioned balance scale which was used to compare the weight of two objects. On one side start placing the promises of God. Promises like …

• God will never leave you or forsake you
• You are God’s child, and you can call out anytime, anywhere “Abba Father”
• If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
• God has completely forgotten your sins-God will deliver you from temptation
• God will provide you with the grace you need for today
• God will reward your obedience and faithfulness
• God hears your prayers
• God’s steadfast love for you endures forever

On the other side of the scale start placing your life, and each of your problems, afflictions, fears, anxieties, joys, hopes, dreams, and hidden secrets. Does the scale lean towards God’s promises or towards your life?

If God’s promises outweigh what is happening in your life today; if God’s promises, outweigh all the alternatives, then let faith continue to be the dominant characteristic of your life.

Without hesitating, with great joy, obediently let faith underpin your every action and decision.

Read Hebrews 11:8-16 on BibleGateway

I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior (Hab 3:18)

As you look past what is happening today in your life and obediently believe in the future that God has promised – you are demonstrating the existence of God’s Kingdom to your co-workers.

The truth of God’s kingdom cannot be denied when people see the fruit of God’s spirit in your life – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control.  You prove God is real when you reverently welcome what God says.

When you accept God’s gracious, unconditional forgiveness after you catch yourself being conceited, provocative, envious, selfish, lusting, boastful, proud, hateful, impatient, lazy, unkind, or angered – you proclaim to a watching world that a gracious, loving heavenly Father exists.

Noah was a man known for conducting his affairs according to God’s will. Everybody knew that he was a good and innocent man. His behavior proved to the people of his day that God existed.

Then one day God asked Noah to build an ark. This ark would become a tangible demonstration of the reality of God’s Kingdom to an unbelieving, scoffing, sinful generation. Without questioning or doubting what God said, Noah looked past what was happening at that time in his world, and believed the future that God had told him. Noah embraced everything that flowed from God’s mouth – his commands, his promises, and his warnings. Noah’s was obedient to God for the long haul. Over 100 years Noah patiently worked on building the ark without once seeing evidence of a flood. Noah persisted, even though everybody around him thought his actions made no sense. Noah’s faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world (Heb 11:7 MSG). Noah became an heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with his faith (Heb 11:7 NIV).

You show that God’s Kingdom exists when you allow God to take the lead in your life moment by moment in every situation. Your life is a testimony to God when you lovingly obey God, staying where he tells you to stay, going where he sends you to go, doing what he tells you to do, speaking when and what he tells you to say.

When your love never gives up on someone, when you never lose faith, when you are always hopeful, when you endure through every circumstance no one can doubt that God is real.

This isn’t easy. Our finite, logical minds often can’t make sense of what God is doing. It’s challenging when we don’t understand God’s timing. It doesn’t help when people bully us, ridicule us, or mock us for believing something that cannot be seen.

What keeps us going at these times is a quiet confidence that a loving God who created this world out of what was not seen, is faithful to his promises, and will accomplish what cannot be seen. When you have doubts and fears, admit them, and ask God to help you look past them so that you can see his love and holiness. In the midst of the storms of life your songs of praise and thanksgiving show that our God reigns.

How does your attitude and behavior reveal to your co-workers that the Kingdom of God exists?

Read Genesis 6:9-22 on BibleGateway

All a person’s ways seem pure to them,but motives are weighed by the Lord. (Prov 16:2)

To the observer they both were hard working, successful, and had good jobs. Although their jobs were quite different. They both had a good life, and enjoyed the fruit of their work.

One chose in faith to believe that world in which he worked was created by God. He saw his work as a privilege, and an opportunity to tend and care for God’s creation. He chose in faith to believe that the tools and skills he used in his job were gifts from God. The other took pride in his own skills and abilities.

One wrestled with the weeds and thistles in the ground but in faith looked forward to a future unmarred by the fall. The other cursed the weeds and thorns as he sweated away at his work.

One believed in the hidden things of God that he was unable to detect with his own senses. He saw past the mist and darkness of this world and glimpsed through eyes of faith the Kingdom of Heaven. The other heard stories about God and went through the rituals of worshipping God.

One they the two of them came to the altar with offerings from their careers. The only visible difference to their offerings was the different products they made and brought. Neither of them realized that sin and death was lurking in the shadows at their place of worship.

The observer would have seen one walk away with peace and joy written all over his face, and the other angrily storming away.

What the observer could not see was that one came with faith, and one didn’t.

Although both of their ways may have seemed pure or good to them and the observer, the Lord was weighing their motives. God was searching their hearts and examining their minds.

One walked away from the altar that day knowing that he had been doing the will of God. He knew that God was pleased with the way he did his work, with his attitudes, with his love, with his faith.

The other walked away angry, filled with jealousy and wondering if the offering had all been a waste of time and good products. As he walked away he heard God gently, lovingly call him to do well, telling him that he could find God’s acceptance if he didn’t let sin rule over him. Had he paused to really listen, he would have heard God’s passion for his heart and soul.

Time passed, and the two brothers found themselves working in the same field. Sin had followed them from the altar to the workplace. There sin overcame Cain, and he decided to end things by killing his brother Abel.

Was it worth it for Abel to trust in God?

The murderer Cain continued to experience God’s grace. He received God’s promise of protection as he settled elsewhere in God’s creation. He continued to fulfill God’s creation mandate as he established a dynasty for himself. The Bible tells us that many of the good things we enjoy today came from Cain’s descendants – metal working, music, agriculture. What we don’t know is if Cain ever accepted God’s gracious gift of forgiveness and placed his faith in God.

To the observer, Abel’s death was a senseless tragedy. Abel would never have descendants. Abel would no longer have the privilege of creating new things from what God created. Somebody else would take over his job, and life would move on.

But Abel did not choose to live for an earthly Kingdom but for a Heavenly Kingdom. Remember that whatever Abel did, he worked at it with all his heart as working for the Lord.

At that moment when Abel breathed his last breath, Abel entered into the ultimate reality, a place filled with everlasting pleasures, riches and glories that far exceed the pleasures of this world. At that moment, in Heaven, Abel heard these words “well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of my rest”.

Abel received the promise of eternal life, and lives today in Heaven. Abel is perfectly holy, he is no longer tainted by sin. Abel no longer has to deal with weeds or thorns. Abel doesn’t have to worry about stumbling, falling or being hungry. Abel no longer feels like his prayers bounce of the ceiling or that God is silent. For Abel is face to face with Jesus. Abel no longer experiences doubt or fears. Abel sees clearly now what his faith and hope rested upon.

Although Abel is now enjoying life in the Kingdom of Heaven, the amazing part of Abel’s story is that his voice still speaks today.

Abel’s story tells you that the life of faith, a life of righteousness is possible, and priceless. Abel’s story assures you that God is wise, that God is good, that God is in control and that God is just. Abel’s story invites you to see everything in light of the Kingdom of God. Abel’s story challenges you to trust in the activity of the invisible Almighty God. Abel’s story shows you that all that the Lord requires of you is to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Abel’s story assures you that God’s approval is worth more than man’s approval.

The Lord searches every heart, and understands every desire and every thought. What will the Lord find when he searches your heart at work today?

Read Hebrews 11:1-4; Genesis 4:1-8; Micah 6:6-8 on BibleGateway

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. (1 Pet 1:3-4a)

Is there a solid anchor, something immovable and unchanging, something that is purely good that you can put your hope in today?

There is a certain hope! A hope that is beyond your wildest dreams. A hope that abides in a place external to this world. A place where rust and moth cannot destroy it, and where the thief cannot steal it away.

There is a living hope that co-exists with everything you experience in your life including the joys, the beauty and all that is good. A hope that shines brightly amongst all the evil, sickness, despair, shame, sin and death that surrounds you.

This hope is firmly anchored in the reality of the Kingdom of God.

This living hope rests solely on the goodness of God, the creator of the universe, the one who created you. A good, holy, righteous, loving, unchanging God. You can depend on this living hope with absolute confidence for God is faithful and keeps his promises. God is a God of hope. God will not deceive you or trick you.

Jesus invites you based on his finished work on the cross to faithfully hold tightly to the living hope he offers. When you take your eyes of Christ and see the sin, depravity, and darkness around you, Jesus invites you to hold without wavering to a living hope. When you are blessed beyond measure, and are enjoying life to the fullest, even as God meant life to be experienced, Jesus invites you to not let go of your living hope. And if you do let go of hope for a moment, if there are seasons when God seems far away and silent know that Hope continues unchanging.

Hope whispers quietly that God has your circumstances under control.

With hope faithfully move forward in confidence and joy. You don’t have to fret or worry just set your attention and affections on the things above, upon which your hope rests.

Next time when you find yourself saying “I hope that …” remember that God is a God of hope.

What difference does it make in your day that that God has blessed you with a certain living hope that transcends all that you hope for in this world?

    “Hope” is the thing with feathers –
    That perches in the soul –
    And sings the tune without the words –
    And never stops – at all – 

    And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
    And sore must be the storm –
    That could abash the little Bird
    That kept so many warm – 

    I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
    And on the strangest Sea –
    Yet – never – in Extremity,
    It asked a crumb – of me. 

        -Emily Dickinson

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings (Heb 10:22a)

A new era has dawned! You no longer need to run like a gerbil endlessly on a tread-wheel, seeking to be known, accepted or loved. You don’t need to chase after the things of this world any more. You, just as you are, have received an invitation to draw near to God. You don’t have to be afraid that you will be rejected. You will be accepted simply on the basis of your faith. You won’t be condemned, you won’t be teased, and you won’t be shamed when you come to Christ. You will be welcomed. You will hear God call by your name. You will find grace.

All this is possible because the unique and unparalleled work of Christ is finished! Jesus died on the cross, rose again and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven! Jesus extends to you an open invitation to boldly and confidently enter into God’s presence – the Most Holy Place. This invitation is extended to all whose guilty consciences have been cleansed by the blood of Christ. Come to Christ and your dignity will be restored. Boldly enter into the most holy place without fear or trembling for your shame has been replaced with glory. Your sins are forgiven!

Come into God’s presence with a sincere heart. There is no need for false pretenses – for Christ alone is the author and finisher of your salvation. Come believing that Christ is sufficient. Come and share in Christ’s perfection. Come without fear. Your sins, failures and mistakes are no longer remembered. Come with your prayers, your tears and your heartaches. Come with joy, thanksgiving and a heart overflowing with praise. Come believing that Christ will supply all your needs out of his riches in glory. Come and experience intimacy with your Heavenly Father. Come and let the Holy Spirit fill you with his power. Come and experience life to the fullest in the Kingdom of God!

Read Hebrews 10:14-23 on BibleGateway