Day 6...Grateful for Belonging....

I didn't know how to write out exactly what I am grateful for today...belonging is as close as I could get to what I meant. Here is the explanation.

I am going through a class at my church called Perspectives. It's essentially a missions course (can be taken for credit at some colleges so there is a LOT of reading) ...yet the whole idea of the course is to explain God's perspective throughout the Bible as a whole...not just a collection of small stories put together. I have already learned a lot in the three lessons we have had...but the one I finished today (due to the weather I had to watch the speaker on video) just stuck out to me.

The lesson was on the Kingdom of God and what that means. (I'm going to do a lot of rough paraphrasing of what the speaker said...so that I don't have to keep typing..."the speaker said...") As westerners we don't really understand what a Kingdom means. We don't have a King and haven't had a King. We do have a government...but even with the government we don't like for them to be too invasive in our lives. So...here's an example of how the Kingdom of God works.

As believers, we become citizens and ambassadors of the Lord to the world. As scripture states (and excuse me for not looking up the exact reference), we are no longer citizens of this world...rather we are strangers in this world and we are only here until the Lord decides to take us home. This world is not our home! Here is the example that nailed it all home...

On your US Passport...did you know you have to sign it? Well...you do. But...if you look at the statement the the US government makes, that you are signing...it's very interesting.

"The Secretary of State of the United States of America hereby requests all whom it may concern to permit the citizen/national of the United States named herein to pass without delay or hindrance and in case of need o give all lawful aid and protection."

So, in essence, the government of the United Sates is extending its hand of protection to its citizens when they are in a foreign country...because we are not citizens of the foreign country. Now...relate that to the Lord. We are not citizens of this world...we are citizens of Heaven...God reaches out and extends His hand of protection over our lives here in this world...so that we may further His Kingdom that is in Heaven. 

I probably really butchered what the guy said on the video...but that example really stuck out to me...of course I am so thankful to be a citizen of the United States...but I am left today grateful to the Lord for my "belonging" in His Kingdom!

Sorry the picture isn't exciting...but just showing you that it really is in a passport! Mine!