God's Unseen Kingdom

Is it hard for you to trust that God is working on your problem because you can’t see everything He’s doing? I know that having faith is easy until the devil assaults you with doubt and unbelief. But no matter how hopeless your situation looks or feels, God wants you to know that you can trust Him to do something great.

Paul said in Ephesians 1:18-19, I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe (NIV).

As long as we believe, God keeps working. So, when we feel discouraged, we need to encourage ourselves that He is doing good things behind the scenes.

In the last couple of years, I’ve formed a habit of saying, “This is going to end well.” No matter what I am feeling, I’ll say, “God is good and He’s going to work this out for my good. He’s going to teach me something new and I’m going to be a better person than I was before.”

I think consistency should be one of our greatest goals as believers—continuously filling our minds with God’s Word, thinking positively, being prayerful at all times...obedient, peaceful, joyful. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33 NIV). But we can be glad anyway because we know how the story ends. Jesus continued, saying, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

A Look into the Unseen

“The kingdom of heaven” is referenced throughout the New Testament. When Jesus began His public ministry, he said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17 NIV). Like most people would, Jesus’ disciples presumed that He was going to set up an earthly kingdom with a palace and a throne. But He rules over an invisible kingdom, in the spiritual realm.

For example, did you know there are angels with us right now? Many of us don’t really think about that because we can’t see them with our natural eyes. But just because we can’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t there. God is a mighty God and He rules over a mighty kingdom.

Psalm 91:11 (AMPC) says, For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].

As we become more conscious of the fact that God is always with us and He’s assigned His angels to defend and protect us, it should make us feel safer, more empowered to do what He’s called us to do, and less likely to give up when things get hard. But here’s what we have to remember: No matter what kind of support He gives us, if we don’t believe that we have it, then to us, it’s as if we don’t have it.

Faith Is the Key to Victory

First John 5:4 (NIV) says, This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Hebrews 11:1 tells us how it works:
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (KJV). Faith is a real thing; it has substance. In other words, faith is firmly committed. It refuses to be swayed by our ever-changing emotions or our current circumstances.

For example, if you wake up in the morning and your back is aching, you can’t stand your job, and your house is a mess, faith says, “Yes! I’m ready to face this day because I can do whatever I need to do through Christ” (see Philippians 4:13).

If you’re in a tough place in your marriage, or your children have drifted away from God, or you have a lifelong dream that is yet to be fulfilled, faith says, “God is working, and this is going to end well.”

It won’t always be easy, but God will always be with you to help you. And by faith, you can keep believing even before you see the result of what God has been doing all along.

Romans 8:37 (AMP) says, Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us].

Being “more than a conqueror” means you know God has an answer for your problem before you ever get one. Whenever a trial of any kind comes against you, always remember: This too shall pass! Be confident that during the trial you will learn something that will help you in the future. And continue to release your faith, knowing that with God all things are possible. (See Matthew 19:26.)

Mark 11:24 (NIV) says, ...whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Whatever you’re going through, I encourage you to live with the positive expectation that something good is going to happen. Keep an “I can” mindset. Stir up your faith and believe God for greater things! When you’re at home preparing dinner or washing dishes, envision God’s kingdom and the angels that are all around you. And remember, no matter what you see or don’t see, God is working in your life.