25 Days of Advent: Forged for our Hope – Day 18

Lines. Long, twisty, patience testing ones. Christmas seems to be full of them. I have come to learn through trial and error that the key to successful line waiting is to keep to yourself and pay attention. For if you turn your eyes for a mere moment, there may be someone who will notice and take it upon themselves to test your nerves.

My fingers had barely grazed the object of my affection so conveniently placed at eye level at the checkout counter when an older gentleman walked himself into my personal space to step in front of me in the line. It was a move so blatant, swift, and raw. My emotions were instantly in utter confusion and chaos as to how I should react.

Our human nature is to react in offence, and so easily we do, for we seem to be naturally bent in that direction. It is our choice whether or not we walk in offence to the actions of another. In a moment where the heat and pressure of the world was forging my soul with the eyes of several strangers upon me, I was forced to make a choice whether I would be gracious, seeking eternal rewards by honouring my King, or unleash the words lingering upon my tongue feeling better in the moment by seeking worldly rewards.

Obedience means doing what is right, not what is easy.

In the book of Daniel we find the prophet interpreting king Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The king was having most disturbing dreams that troubled his spirit and caused him great sleep deprivation. He called upon all the magicians, enchanters, the sorcerers, astronomers, and astrologers to decipher his dreams offering them gifts and rewards of great honour if they could give him clarity and understanding. If not, he would have them torn limb from limb. When they could not make sense of the dream the king demanded that they be killed. Daniel spared the lives of these worldly men by going before the king and revealing to him the intimacies of his dream seeing it through the spiritual eyes of heaven.

Nebuchadnezzar’s spirit was most certainly troubled for Daniel prophesied of the coming Messiah, and the kingdom that He would rule would never be brought down in destruction but reign over all kingdoms forever:

Daniel 2:44, “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.

Daniel was forced to make a choice whether he would honour God by speaking the truth, or telling king Nebuchadnezzar what he may have desired to hear accepting worldly rewards in return. The fulfillment of Daniel’s prophesy is found twice in the New Testament, the first of which in the Gospel of Luke:

Luke 1:33, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

We are forged for our hope when we seek eternal rewards from Christ by choosing obedience, not the external rewards of the world desiring gratification and justification.

The Messiah came rule over the heart and soul of man- our heart and soul often being our personal kingdoms. It is the kingdom that we serve each and every moment of each and every day. But our earthly kingdoms will one day crumble and we will account for how we served. Did we store up our eternal rewards by serving the one true King with the kingdom that is anointed and eternal? Or did we serve our self-appointed kingdom storing up worldly rewards seeking self gratification?

Father, help me to always make wise choices that reflect the character of Christ at work within me, seeking eternal rewards not worldly rewards. Obedience is not easy with some choices harder than others, but may I lay my personal kingdom before your throne allowing Christ to rule with strength and love. In Jesus name, amen.