Thought for the weekend

Rev Gareth Burke

Queen Elizabeth II watches from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade. Photo by Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool/Getty Images

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Queen Elizabeth II watches from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade. Photo by Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool/Getty Images

June 04 2022 11:00 AM

Throughout this weekend, we have been celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The various events have got me thinking about the different times when I have caught a glimpse of the Queen.

The first time was in 1966. She was visiting Belfast and I stood with my father at Gelston’s Corner in east Belfast and saw her in the royal car on her way to Stormont.

The last time was in 2018 on a visit to the Cenotaph in London on Remembrance Sunday. To be honest, I only saw the top of her hat peeking out above a distant balcony!

Maybe you have met the Queen. It could be that you have had the honour of being included in the Queen’s birthday honours list and have attended an investiture at Buckingham Palace.

That would be a special moment — meeting the monarch. However, the reality is that all of us are going to meet a king one day.

The Bible is clear that when King Jesus returns to earth on the day of his second coming, we will all meet with him. It doesn’t matter who we are or where we come from, but it is clear that “all the nations will be gathered before him”. (Matthew 25: 32).

That’s quite a thought, isn’t it? If you were to meet with the Queen, you would spend a lot of time preparing for that special event.

You would be busy choosing new clothes and scrubbing up to look your very best when you met her. I think you would also feel a little nervous.

But how shall we prepare for our meeting with King Jesus? There’s no point in getting new clothes or anything like that. The only way in which we can prepare for our meeting with Jesus is by looking to him, confessing our sin and trusting in him as Saviour and Lord.

The prospect of meeting with the ‘King of Kings’ is scary.

But if we have true faith in him, all will be well on that great day.

No need to fear. For those of us who know him as Saviour, all of our sin has been dealt with on the cross.

As such, the King will welcome us when he arrives in glory and power. We don’t need to be scared. We should be excited.

Thought for the weekend

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