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Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.¹

When Jesus was asked how to pray, he said, Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven . . . .² Evidently, there are two kingdoms—earth and heaven. For the sake of distinction let us consider the earth-kingdom as secular; the heaven-kingdom, Spiritual.

In the secular realm we consider a blessing as everything good–material wealth, power, good health, good relationships—marriage, children, family. Indeed it is! But what if you were headed the wrong direction, and you experience an inconvenience, a road block, that makes you turn around. Wouldn’t the trouble be a blessing then? Perhaps we need to revisit our definition of blessing.

What then is our basis or standard of blessing? May it be anything that aligns with God’s will? How may we know for sure what God’s will is? God’s Word says, I appeal to you therefore brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.³ To Timothy, Paul explained the importance of understanding the seasons–in the last days there will come times of difficulty⁴ and that all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.⁵ And encouraged him to always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist.⁶ Nothing close to our secular understanding of blessing! Notice, whenever there is much hardship and suffering, people turn to God. So, in heaven-kingdom terms, persecution, hardship, and suffering may be a blessing.

Ezekiel, a prophet and priest, warned Israel of God’s judgment against their iniquities. He who is far off shall die of pestilence, and he who is near shall fall by the sword, and he who is left and is preserved shall die of famine. Thus I will spend my fury upon them. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when their slain lie among their idols . . . .⁷ It requires knowledge to know God and his will. Where can we find knowledge? Or truth? Or wisdom? The beginning of wisdom is this. Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.⁸ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.⁹ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.¹⁰ Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.¹¹

The heaven-kingdom standard is God’s written Word, the Bible. As we earnestly seek to know more of God, he reveals truth partially, progressively, and conditionally. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.¹² As we obey we may expect heaven here on earth.