The Queen

  I can remember when the death of King George VI was announced. I remember, too, the sorrow felt, even in my family, when he died. He had been there through the dark days of war and, no doubt, his speeches were recalled when he addressed the nation, and he would have been regarded as a good man, definitely a man of faith. In Sir John Laing's auto-biography it is recorded how, as the Duke of York, he was a regular attender at Sir John's Assembly's Bible study meeting. On becoming King, this was no longer possible. Many recall his speech at Christmas 1939, when he quoted the words from a poem by Minnie Louise Haskins: “And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” And he replied: “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.” 

Little did we think in 1952 that Queen Elizabeth would still be on the throne in 2022, but no-one lives for ever and it was sad to see her ageing, it seemed so rapidly, over the past 18 months. Many of us can recall her Christmas Day speeches where she so clearly indicated her own personal faith in the Lord Jesus and the occasion when she commented that there was only One Way. Some lovely stories have been told by people encountering her in what we might call ordinary life situations. One comment was that she did not look down on those she was speaking to. Her manner was never condescending. 

We will never see her like again, but we can all pray for the new King – King Charles III. This is what we are commanded to do in 1st Tim. cha 2 v 1 & 2: “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, 

intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, 

and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and 

peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” 

Of all the kings in Judah, David, in spite of his faults and failings he is held up as the gold standard. There were kings who did not walk in David's ways – and we are told of those who did. Asa, Jehoshaphat, Amaziah, Hezekiah and Josiah are all recorded as walking in the ways of David but even with some of them there were caveats. We see David's humility in 2 Samuel cha 7. Nathan tells him that he will not build a temple, but - Verse 16: “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” Then we have David's response: Verse 18. “Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? “ 

We could almost say that, like the Queen of Sheba when she saw Solomon's wealth, there was no spirit left in (her) him. Who am I? This should be our response before the Lord when we consider His grace to us. We have done nothing to deserve His favour, yet we are the recipients of His grace. Can we ever forget that although we have been the subjects of a great Queen – we are the subjects of One far greater – great David's greater Son, whose coming in glory we await. 

The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Even so come Lord Jesus. 

- John Michie