Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

The Kingdom of God is like chess, the King cannot die.

For you who are not familiar with chess, a King either resigns because the game is hopeless or is forced to resign. The King is never captured or killed. This classic game of warfare is unique in that the number of pieces captured (killed) has no bearing on the outcome. It is possible to lose all your knights, rooks, bishops and even the Queen and still win the game.

So often we focus on scriptures like John 10:10a The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: where the focus is on the loss rather than our King. John 10:10b I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

We tie the abundant life with those things we think about which can be stolen, killed and destroyed. But in fact in our King’s Kingdom, we lose it all and still win. We can still have that abundant life even after losing it all.

Mark 10:21b One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Let me ask this pointed question; are you resigned to having it all?

If you are resigned to have “all of it” now, you have surrendered a winning position to the enemy.

Oh, yes and the other thing about chess which is so much like the Kingdom of God, the lowly pawn, which has no value, if it endures to the end, reaches the 8^th rank, is resurrected.

Mark 13:13b he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Wait. OK, what do you want me to do? Wait. So am I to sit and do nothing or am I to wait on you as a waitperson who serves? The meanings of words do change, which is it?

Do you ever get hung up on a word with multiple modern meanings and wonder exactly what was meant at the time of the writing? I think it is a good thing to wonder and ask questions. We don’t have to act like we know it all. We can ask.

“But they that wait” is derived from one Hebrew word, qavah, Strong’s number H6960. If you skip over the usage section and get down to the Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon you will find ancient roots that shed some real light. To twist, bind, hence with a rope.

Now we have something that we can build upon with clarity of meaning, bringing supporting scriptures into play.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Now we see with more clarify the rest of the opening verse in that our strength is not in ourselves but He with whom we have an unbreakable bond. Maybe you already knew that. Perhaps you understand right past wait and did not need to dig deeper into ancient text. Great, but not everyone does and for those who have questions, the Lord has answers.

Are you prepared to answer those questions when asked?