Many around the world are mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II. It is an emotionally difficult time, particularly for residents of the UK, because at the same time they are mourning the death of one monarch, they are rejoicing at the accession of another. Imagine the strain on the emotions of King Charles III right now!
A television interview I watched yesterday highlighted the role that Camilla will play as Queen Consort; her biographer noted that many Britons are dropping the “Consort” part and simply calling her Queen Camilla.
Whether or not you are a monarchist, whether or not you live in a Commonwealth nation, we all face the same reality, a reality that is as old as time itself: we want a ruler, a leader we can look up to.
For some, it is a monarch; for others, it is a president or a prime minister; for still others, it might be a leader of a different sort. And in one sense this is as good thing: good leaders help to provide structure and order to society.
At the same time, though, we are quick to put a leader in a place that belongs to God alone.
In the Old Testament, the Israelites bellyached until the Lord gave them a king. They wanted to be like the other nations; they had forgotten that their place as a chosen people meant they had the Lord as their king! But they wanted an earthly king, so they could fit in with all the cool countries.
God granted their request, and for the most part, things went downhill from there.
Looking up to someone in leadership is well and good, but make sure that the One to whom you most look up is the Lord himself, our one true King.
‘“Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance.“Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods’ (1 Samuel 8.5b-8a, NLT).
Passionately His 