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It's no secret that I'm a royal watcher. I'm hardly alone.
A global TV audience of an estimated 2 billion were
captivated by the marriage of the Prince and the commoner, Will and Kate, on
April 29, 2011. The waiting room and
mounting anticipation for the first glimpse of baby George was an unforgettable
media event. We are all too well
acquainted with that hospital door! We
are sure to get a refresher with the arrival of baby number two this spring!
My fascination with the British monarchy is not personality driven however. Perhaps a TIME magazine article captured it best—the Brits are indeed "THE MASTERS OF MAJESTY".
In the summer of 2008 our family toured England. A gentleman at Windsor Castle was almost
apologetic about some of the pomp and circumstance surrounding a seemingly
irrelevant centuries-old order, noting that rituals and traditions are woven
into the very fabric of England's identity.
I'm thankful they've held fast.
Where else would our authentic images of coronations, throne rooms,
royal robes and regalia come from?
How thrilling to see staid politicians and other guests
confess to being moved by the beauty and pageantry of the royal wedding in
Westminster Abbey. Surely the glorious
music, treasured hymns, sacred scriptures, reverential prayers, and the
resplendent cathedral itself invoked God's Presence.
Palaces, princes and princesses captivate little girls'
hearts early. I'm no exception. But when I became the daughter of the King of
kings, surrendering my heart and life to Jesus, it was the British monarchy
that provided visuals for my new royal ambassadorship! What
an awesome privilege to represent His Majesty, Jesus Christ, "the King of
glory!"
Three times in Isaiah chapter two, the prophet refers to "the
splendor of His majesty".
Isaiah 26:10 is a warning to the unrighteous and "those who go on doing evil and regard not
the majesty of the Lord."
"The
Lord sits in majesty…exalted above all the nations." Psalm
99:2
"The
voice of the Lord is majestic." Psalm 29:46
"Let
all that I am praise the Lord: O Lord my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and majesty." Psalm
104:1
"Your
throne, O God, endures forever and ever.
You rule with a scepter of justice." Psalm 45:6
"In
Your majesty, ride out to victory, defending truth, humility and justice. Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds!" Psalm
45:4
This same Jesus, God incarnate, cast off His majesty and
entered our sinful world to rescue us and restore us to the love relationship
God created us for (Philippians 2: 6-11).The first visitors to welcome the baby
Jesus, the shepherds, left with a sense of wonder over "the darling of
Heaven". Later the men from the east
reverently bowed in worship before presenting their gifts of gold, frankincense
and myrrh.
We can be thankful for the Lord's humble entrance, and all
the ways He identified with our human journey.
One day, we will see Him in His glory—with a majesty that rendered the
beloved apostle John unconscious (Revelation 1:17). But no fear. He invites us to come as we are,
and draw near like the shepherds.
Finding Him, we will bow in worship like the wise men, in the Presence
of the King.
John Ortberg wrote my favourite book of 2012, entitled, "Who Is This Man? The Unpredictable Impact
of the Inescapable Jesus" In our
interview he said,
"It's
2000 years later…
If you
were to ask who's the most influential person in history?
Whose birthday is most widely
celebrated?
Whose instrument of death is the most
famous symbol of all time?
Who has had the greatest impact?
He's
number one and there's no number two.
Nobody else comes close…and anybody can experience grace, forgiveness
and enter into that reality, that realm, that way of life that has a hope
beyond death."
You've heard it said—
"It's never too late to become what you might have been."
You can give Jesus the best possible birthday gift this
year—your heart!
Personalize this Christmas carol as your prayer:
O
Holy Child of Bethlehem descend to me I pray
Cast out my sin and enter in, be born in me today.
Welcome to God's Forever Family!!!
"All glory, majesty, power, and authority are His before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen." Jude 25b
