Matthew 6:10 “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
I’ve always thought of “kingdom” in terms of the usual English definition: the king’s domain or territory, where its inhabitants are subject to the king’s rules and the “Kingdom of God” as the realm in which God’s will is fulfilled. If obedient, I’m in; otherwise I’m out. There’s a top-down feel to it.
But a recent word study revealed that the Greek word may come from a root word meaning “base” or “foot”. In its New Testament usage, it means, “foundation of power”. The Kingdom of God is a foundation of power. This is novel; this has a bottom-up flow. It seems to say that it isn’t so much a matter of where I put my head, but a matter of where I put my feet.
King David says in Psalm 40:2, “He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” And again, in Psalm 18:36, “You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.” As a warrior, David knew the importance of solid footing. He knew that having his feet under him and his body aligned with them would give him stability and power to remain standing in the middle of the struggle. I, also, have learned from martials arts training, that my “power” is astonishingly multiplied to throw or move men many times my size when my base, my foundation, is solid.
So now I ask myself, “What is the base empowering my response to __________?” Are my words and actions based on a slippery, squishy foundation of anger, pride, intellectual prowess, moral superiority or cynicism? Or are they based “on Christ, the solid rock”, empowered by God’s foundation of strength?
Lord, I pray, let your Foundation of Power come – be the bedrock of strength from which I build and live. Let your will fuel, in me, the capacity to do all those outrageously impossible things I find in the Sermon on the Mount, like loving my enemies, forgiving, practicing generosity and living peacefully in a world that is hostile. May your will be done in me and may my feet not slip from your rock; may the giants fall instead of little-ol’-me! Amen.
Psalm 18:31-32 For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?
– the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.
Psalm 89:14-16 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face, who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted.