Devotion 2/10, The Kingdom of God

“Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin!”  Habakkuk 2:9

In this world, in our race to get to the top and leave all our rivals in the dust behind us or at the bottom of the bin of failure, God tells us both “Whoa!” and “Woe!” He tells us to stop (“Whoa!”) and realize that Kingdom values are different from worldly values — that there is no success without service in godliness. (As in Matthew 10:45 when Christ reiterates he did not come to be served but to serve, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”) He also warns us (“Woe!”) that he will bring us to ruin if we ignore his values by placing ourselves above the well-being of others or pursuing our success at the cost of our ethics or more importantly, His Word.

 

Gracious, almighty, and righteous God, please strengthen me so that I can resist the temptation to exploit, cheat, and lie to get ahead. Dear Father, I truly want to be a person of integrity, character, and blessing. Please help me see any duplicity in my heart. I want to treat others as you have so graciously treated me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

https://youtu.be/OgHC-EkbbCo?feature=shared