Kings and Kingdoms ~ Alexis A. Goring ~ Faithful Friday

Kings and Kingdoms

A devotional by Alexis A. Goring

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

— Matthew 24:35 (NKJV)

It was a normal Saturday morning. Except, I didn’t feel like going to church.

I was tired from the week of work and wanted to rest. Another reason why I wanted to stay home was that the weather was too cold for my taste. It felt like the perfect reason to stay home, cozied with a warm blanket and my plush pillow. Sleeping in until the early afternoon sounded good to me!

However, God prompted me to go. Our pastor often says that you’re on time for work because they give you a paycheck; why can’t you be on time for church because the Creator of the Universe, who enabled you to get that job, wants to meet with you?

So I dragged myself out of bed and began the process of getting ready to go to church. I arrived just in time for the worship service. As I walked in and sat in one of the cushioned chairs, the praise team leader was pausing in her performance to make the congregation really think about the lines in the song they’d been singing as I walked in.

The song was “There’s Something About That Name.” Growing up, I heard it so many times before but on that Sabbath morning as an adult, it really resonated with me, especially the lyrics that the praise team leader was emphasizing that day. She said, “Listen to this verse: Kings and kingdoms will all pass away/But there’s something about that name!”

Suddenly, everything clicked! I had what educators call a “teachable moment” because I realized that all of my hopes, dreams, and plans for my life were what Clay Crosse in his song “I Surrender All,” calls “temporary kingdoms on foundations made of sand.”

More than that, I realized that all of the most beautiful, wealthy and influential real estate or kingdoms of this world will pass away but the Word of our Lord Jesus Christ and God Himself still stands!

God always existed and He will always continue to exist (Isaiah 43:10)! He cannot be shaken from His Throne nor can His kingdom be destroyed. His authority, sovereignty and endless heart of compassion for humanity will last forever!

No one can kill Him. No one can make Him not be God! He is the Ultimate Authority. The most wonderful Heavenly Father. He is the King of a Kingdom that is good, just, beyond beautiful and will never stop existing!

The Bible says that the streets in Heaven are made of gold (Revelation 21:21)! It also says that the glory of God and Jesus Christ (the Lamb of God), lights the Heavenly City. (Revelation 21:23). It also says that there will no more pain, sickness and death in Heaven. (Revelation 21:4). And the Bible also admonishes followers of Jesus Christ to remember that Earth is NOT our home. (Hebrews 13:14)!

We are pilgrims passing through this planet (Hebrews 11:13)! So don’t get too attached to the kings and kingdoms of this world. Place your trust in God (Psalm 118:8), not mankind. Put your hope in Him!

You can trust God with your very life and soul. After all, God loves you so much that He sent His Son (Jesus Christ) to rescue you from the king of this world (the devil) and give you the opportunity to save your soul (John 3:16) in His Kingdom so that when human history on this Earth ends, you can have hope of an eternity spent with Him!

Yes, we have some pretty impressive and awe-inspiring places here on this planet but none of it compares to what awaits all those who follow Jesus to Heaven! The Bible says that, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV). All manmade kingdoms and human-led establishments will pass away, but God’s Kingdom will last forever!

Remember these Bible-based truths: God is Good! He is the only true living God. He loves you with ALL of His Heart and He wants to spend eternity with you! That’s why He sent His Son (Jesus Christ) to save your soul. Now all you have to do is to accept Christ into your life, believe in God and follow Him all the way to Heaven.

In closing, I’d like to share this song, “I Surrender All” by Clay Crosse.

God bless you, dear friends.

Love,

Alexis

About Alexis: Alexis A. Goring is a passionate writer with a degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring, forever love of Jesus Christ.