“The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” [Luke 17:20 NKJV]

 

For all our seeking the Kingdom of God, are we even looking in the right place? Do we use our physical sight to find something only discerned via spiritual eyes?

 

Yeshua says the Kingdom of God does “not come with observation.” He cautions us not to follow “Seers” who only point us in the wrong direction. When we follow their misguidance, we waste our days in futility, stuck in the distracting muck of self-realization.

 

Our mirrored reflection limits one’s view to our exterior. Such vision, while highly informative, is constricted to our personal perspective of oneself. By focusing on our appearance and thoughts of self-improvement, we direct our gaze toward external issues instead of the complexities of the identity within. 

 

More than the outside world, under the guise of inner reflection, manmade philosophies teach us to seek our “inner being” or our “higher power.” Alternatively, a God-centered approach to spirituality centers upon the divine power of our Father God, His Son, and Holy Spirit who collectively reveal a wisdom and revelation that far exceeds all self-centered awareness.

 

In contrast, we occupy a world where day by day the forked tongue of deceit insists upon an ever-increasing shift to discount, yeah distain, the existence, likelihood or authority of God Himself. What the world touts as “self-help” and “spirituality” ultimately lead us to oblivion.

 

Yet it is here, within the unseen human soul, that God deposits His Spirit. Here our Maker establishes the realm of His Way, His Truth, and His Life. Closer inspection shows that this interior realm defines the battleground where the serpent seeks to steal and manipulate our God-given authority – to heist our supernatural birthright over God’s unencumbered dominion of reality. Here stands our Father’s house offering an eternal reward by returning to Him. Here we occupy the Kingdom of God, where He invites us to dwell with Him.

 

The life of a believer consists of learning how to operate in the Spirit as we simultaneously deal with the limits of a material world juxtaposed against the Kingdom of God. The physical world instructs us to value temporal goals disguised as success; the Kingdom of God restores the once broken relationship between ourselves and our Maker. 

 

While there is no system that allows gain without cost, the overlooked individual is the One whom God sent to the pay the ransom and deposit His Ruach HaKodesh inside the heart of each and every believer. God chose to demonstrate His love for us by sending His Firstfruits to be squeezed in the winepress of a fallen world. The cross itself points us to the intersection of faith and love. Look inside. Here within is The Kingdom of God.