Knowing the King and being known by Him

posted in: Andy Blogs | 0

Yesterday was King’s Day here in the Netherlands – the Dutch Royal Family out and about visiting in Zwolle among other places.

There was a great interview on NOS with two girls and one of their dads who ended up arm in arm with king Willem-Alexander during a sing a long at an open air concert.

I am sure it will be something that they will remember for a long time. Plus it is immortalised in photos and film now of course.

For many in the crowd, even getting a glimpse of the King quite close up will have been a special experience for them. Yet may be for all people there would be no expectation that they could know the King. Or for most living in the UK, to know the Queen, who was 90 years old last week.

A book was released in connection with the Queen’s birthday – “The Servant Queen and the King whom she serves”. With a foreword from the Queen herself, the book reflects on her life and work and how faith in Christ has impacted this:

queen source: www.cpo.org.uk

I recognise that people have different views on there being royalty in existence. I am not wishing to enter into that debate here (though I would remind us that the Bible calls us to regularly pray for all those in authority).

In terms of the King here in the Netherlands and the Queen in the UK, most of us are never going to ‘know’ them. But…

Even if it seems like an obvious thing for a church leader to write, there is a King whom we can all know.

Mmmm?? How to write such a thing, without making it sound trivialised or over-simplistic??

He is the One who many from all over the world claim has changed their lives and calls them to follow Him.

One ancient song writer wrote about letting the “King of glory” come in(Psalm 24:7). In Zwolle yesterday, king Willem-Alexander was welcomed at the places he visited. What about our lives and the King of Kings (to use a phrase from the last book of the Bible)? Is Christ truly welcome in our lives?

Do we know the King? Even if we have been a christian for many years, does the King have a welcome in all aspects of our lives? In our careers, relationships, finances, hopes, fears, politics, ambitions, attitudes to name but a few aspects of life.

More than that, if God is King and through Christ we are brought into God’s family – that means our identity in Christ flows from this One who is King.

That is a lot to write in one sentence! May be it sounds too detached from real life. But why not re-read that sentence and reflect on what might that mean for our lives?

Psalm 24 finishes with these words,

Who is he, the King of glory? The Lord Almighty – he is the king of glory.

You may never get to meet an earthly king, queen or president. But we can all know this King of glory and be known by Him!

From that place of ‘knowing’, we are called to live this out in the world that we live in. Being children of the King should have an impact in the way we interact with family, neighbours, friends or colleagues and how we respond to pressing issues facing this world ( a planet which the song writer claims is the Lord’s – Psalm 24:1)

Thanks for reading

Andy