“Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.’” (Luke 17:20-21, NIV)
Resist the urge to make the kingdom of God real “out there” before it has become real “in here.”
In today’s scripture reading, Jesus tells us that His kingdom is personal, not geographical; spiritual, not temporal; hidden from natural observation, yet growing by leaps and bounds within the life yielded to Him.
As much as some of us might want to “Christianize” (or “spiritualize”) the law, the government, the marketplace, the neighborhood, and the school — as the Pharisees desired to do in Jesus’ day; it always becomes a fool’s errand when such changes are imposed from outside. Change that is positive, lasting, spiritual, and liberating always begins within an individual — and manifests itself in the choices that that individual makes.
Is God’s rule (kingdom) growing within you? – Luther
Daily Encouragement 