Thank you Ma'am ... for everything
It happened in a moment. Our Queen died and instantly Prince Charles became king. And soon there was an official singing of the national prayer, 'God save the King'.
Every monarch needs our prayers, as 1 Timothy 2:1-4 instructs us:
"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."
Certainly King Charles needs our prayers. He will be expected to give wise leadership in these days of moral confusion, where the authority of God, by whom all kings rule, has been replaced by multiple gods which we create in the image of our own feelings.
For the past 70 years we have associated 'majesty' with committed servanthood - like that of the Lord Jesus. But for many today, 'majesty' equates to celebrity in which the exaltation of image is demeaned by service. And we can all fall into the trap.
A W Pink, in his book on Elijah, wrote, "Alas, how little is man to be trusted; how little is he able to bear being put into the place of honour! How quickly self rises to the surface, and the instrument is ready to believe that he is something more than an instrument! How sadly easy it is to make of the very service God entrusts us with a pedestal on which to display ourselves."
Humble service is the antidote to pride. It was the hallmark of our late Queen's reign and she was not ashamed to publicly confess that she followed the example of the Lord Jesus Christ - the ultimate Servant King.
These are dangerous times for any ruler or government. The new narcissism embedding itself into our society proclaims the superior and inviolable authority of personal feelings. It is a devilish device which threatens the stability of any realm - especially one which has been built on Biblical values.
So, we need to pray - as earnestly as we sing - that God will save the King: and also every heart that believes itself to be its own ultimate authority.