Having lived in a democratic republic all my life, my understanding of “kingdom” is admittedly limited. I was not born into a kingdom, under the authority of a king. However, study and observation has revealed a few things. First, the rule of law begins and ends with the king. He is sovereign. He is in charge. He is THE authority of the kingdom. No one else makes the rules.

Second, there are good kings and bad kings. There are good kings that turn bad. There are probably some bad kings that turn good. Bad kings love themselves more than their subjects. Their subjects exist for them. I wouldn’t want to be under the authority of a bad king. I am sure it would not be good for me and those I love.

On the other hand, a good king loves his subjects and will do anything within his power for their well being. He will save them from the perils of the greatest enemies of the kingdom. He will save them from their own poor judgments. He will save them from their past. He will guide them into a good future. If I had a king, I would want him to be a good king. I would hope to have the best king.

Actually, I do have a king – and He is the best.  Here’s how it happened:

I once met a king – though I didn’t know it at the time. He came knocking at my door one day. I recognized him. A friend had once told me that this king was the one that would save me. So I invited him in. We became friends – this king and I. But I still did not recognize him as a king. He was humble and friendly. He seemed to care as much about me as himself – maybe even more. We were close… for a while.

I wish someone had told me that he was more than “a friend that saves”. If I had known he was a king – a good king – I think I would have wanted him to be my king. I would have given him all that I owned, if only to know that it was in his good keeping. You see, I tried to keep my stuff – including my very life – in my own authority and power. I tried this for about ten years. It wasn’t enough. To be honest, I was a bad king, and we know what bad kings do to their kingdoms.

But I was still young and all was not lost. Somehow – I really don’t remember exactly – I came to understand that this old friend wanted to be my king. It was a big step, but I got off my throne and surrendered to his kingship. In the process, I recognized that he had always had the right to my kingdom. He had paid a great price for it. I was sorrowful to have held so tightly onto something that belong to him, and humbled that he had waited on me to step down from the throne.

Who could have imagined the love that I would have for my King? He is the object of my passion. I have discovered His desires, and He has manifested them into my life. I live to die for Him and all that He would have me die for. He is my Life!

How good of a King is He? Well, not only is He busy restoring all that I destroyed, He recently told me that He was giving me a do-over for the time I lost trying to run my own kingdom. I don’t know what this means – many of His thoughts and ways are over my head – but I sure am looking forward to it.

Your servant and His,

Rob