WEEK 4 — DAY 1
Morning Nourishment
Gen. 1:26 “And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
Rev. 22:3-5 “...His slaves will serve Him; and they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads,...and they will reign forever and ever.”
Simply speaking, to reign is to exercise authority for God—to rule all things and in particular to deal with His enemy....In the creation of man God had a twofold intent and desire. On one hand, God wanted man to possess His image so that he may express God Himself. On the other hand, God wanted man to represent Him with His authority in order to deal with His enemy. Therefore, when God created man, on one hand, He created him in His image and likeness so that man might be like Him. On the other hand, God caused man to “have dominion...” (Gen. 1:26). This means that God gave man authority so that he might reign for Him. (The Experience of Life, p. 345)
Today’s Reading
The Old Testament records many instances of men reigning for God after Adam. Exodus 14 tells how God wanted Moses to lift the rod and stretch it forth to divide the Red Sea. Joshua 10 tells how Joshua prayed to God that the sun might stand still in the sky. First Kings 17 through 18 relates how Elijah prayed to control the rainfall. Daniel 6 tells how Daniel shut the lions’ mouths in the den. All these instances show us that through the ages, as long as there are men willing to live for God, God desires to grant them authority in order that all things might come under their dominion.
This matter is even more evident in the New Testament. The first one in the New Testament who ruled for God was the Lord Jesus. He commanded illness to recede (Matt. 8:8-9), cast out unclean spirits (Mark 1:27), and rebuked and calmed the storm and the raging sea (Matt. 8:26-27). All these incidents speak of His reigning. Later, when the apostles continued the Lord’s works, they also had many experiences of reigning for God by healing and casting out evil spirits (Acts 3:6-7; 14:8-10; 19:12; 16:18). To the present day, this kind of experience is often repeated in the church. Then in the future and in the kingdom, the overcomers will reign with Christ and rule the nations (Rev. 2:26-27). Finally, in eternity all those who are saved will reign as kings forever and ever (22:5). At that time we will truly and fully enjoy the blessing of reigning for God. All these instances reveal that from the beginning until eternity, God’s one intention is that He may gain man to reign for Him in the universe. This was one aspect of God’s purpose in creating man. Even more, this was one aspect of God’s intention in redeeming man.
Therefore, from the point of view of authority, reigning is the final goal of God’s salvation. It is the summit of our spiritual experience. As for God, had He not saved us to the extent that we could reign for Him in the heavenly realm, the goal of His salvation would not have been considered fully accomplished. Furthermore, although this matter of reigning will not be completely realized until the coming of the kingdom and in eternity, today God wants us to have a beginning on earth. As for us, if any Christian has not yet reached the degree of reigning for God, he is not yet up to standard. A Christian who is up to standard has not only been delivered from sin, overcome the world, had his flesh dealt with and his natural constitution broken, been filled with the Holy Spirit, and is sitting in the heavenly realm, but even more he is reigning with Christ in all things. Whether in God’s work, in the church, at home, or in any encounter in his environment, he can reign and rule over that which God wants him to rule. There must be such people gained by God so that through them the authority of God can be executed and the kingdom of God can come upon the earth. (The Experience of Life, pp. 345-347)
Further Reading: The Experience of Life, ch. 17
Morning Nourishment
Gen. 1:26 “And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
Rev. 22:3-5 “...His slaves will serve Him; and they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads,...and they will reign forever and ever.”
Simply speaking, to reign is to exercise authority for God—to rule all things and in particular to deal with His enemy....In the creation of man God had a twofold intent and desire. On one hand, God wanted man to possess His image so that he may express God Himself. On the other hand, God wanted man to represent Him with His authority in order to deal with His enemy. Therefore, when God created man, on one hand, He created him in His image and likeness so that man might be like Him. On the other hand, God caused man to “have dominion...” (Gen. 1:26). This means that God gave man authority so that he might reign for Him. (The Experience of Life, p. 345)
Today’s Reading
The Old Testament records many instances of men reigning for God after Adam. Exodus 14 tells how God wanted Moses to lift the rod and stretch it forth to divide the Red Sea. Joshua 10 tells how Joshua prayed to God that the sun might stand still in the sky. First Kings 17 through 18 relates how Elijah prayed to control the rainfall. Daniel 6 tells how Daniel shut the lions’ mouths in the den. All these instances show us that through the ages, as long as there are men willing to live for God, God desires to grant them authority in order that all things might come under their dominion.
This matter is even more evident in the New Testament. The first one in the New Testament who ruled for God was the Lord Jesus. He commanded illness to recede (Matt. 8:8-9), cast out unclean spirits (Mark 1:27), and rebuked and calmed the storm and the raging sea (Matt. 8:26-27). All these incidents speak of His reigning. Later, when the apostles continued the Lord’s works, they also had many experiences of reigning for God by healing and casting out evil spirits (Acts 3:6-7; 14:8-10; 19:12; 16:18). To the present day, this kind of experience is often repeated in the church. Then in the future and in the kingdom, the overcomers will reign with Christ and rule the nations (Rev. 2:26-27). Finally, in eternity all those who are saved will reign as kings forever and ever (22:5). At that time we will truly and fully enjoy the blessing of reigning for God. All these instances reveal that from the beginning until eternity, God’s one intention is that He may gain man to reign for Him in the universe. This was one aspect of God’s purpose in creating man. Even more, this was one aspect of God’s intention in redeeming man.
Therefore, from the point of view of authority, reigning is the final goal of God’s salvation. It is the summit of our spiritual experience. As for God, had He not saved us to the extent that we could reign for Him in the heavenly realm, the goal of His salvation would not have been considered fully accomplished. Furthermore, although this matter of reigning will not be completely realized until the coming of the kingdom and in eternity, today God wants us to have a beginning on earth. As for us, if any Christian has not yet reached the degree of reigning for God, he is not yet up to standard. A Christian who is up to standard has not only been delivered from sin, overcome the world, had his flesh dealt with and his natural constitution broken, been filled with the Holy Spirit, and is sitting in the heavenly realm, but even more he is reigning with Christ in all things. Whether in God’s work, in the church, at home, or in any encounter in his environment, he can reign and rule over that which God wants him to rule. There must be such people gained by God so that through them the authority of God can be executed and the kingdom of God can come upon the earth. (The Experience of Life, pp. 345-347)
Further Reading: The Experience of Life, ch. 17
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