It may be different in the part of the world where you live; however, we are passing through challenging times in the UK. As many of you will be aware, recently, we have been mourning the loss of a well-loved and respected Queen. When Elizabeth II came to the throne, she made a promise to the nation: ‘I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.’ She made this promise on her 21st birthday and kept it until her death at the age of 96.
One of her grandsons, Prince William, said, ‘On Thursday the world lost AN EXTRAORDINARY LEADER, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute.’ She recognised the greatness of the task that awaited her and, above all else, that she needed God’s help to guide and support her. She has left us a fine example as to what constitutes effective leadership and her presence is already being missed.
Sadly, those who are seeking to govern the UK at this time are displaying serious flaws in their ability to lead us. There is a lack of care, honesty, humility and compassion being shown towards others. Promises made today are being broken tomorrow; in marked contrast to a monarch, who kept her promise to her people for a lifetime! Well-deserved tributes to her have poured in from numerous leaders around the world since her death; regretfully, however, there has been little desire to emulate her. Consequently, moral and spiritual standards have continued to crumble at an alarming rate. Clearly, there has been very little desire to turn to God for guidance, as the Queen did.
We need to pray earnestly and constantly that things will change for the better! Paul encourages us to pray ‘for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence’, 1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 2.
To be continued