“I will lift you up high, my God, the true king.”(Psalm 145:1 CEB)

Those of us who are pro-democracy wince at the very suggestion of being ruled by a king. We would much rather be governed by elected representatives who can always be trusted to put average citizens ahead of themselves, right?

… I’ll pause while you roll your eyes.

Here’s the thing— the fact that humans are historically bad at ruling other humans isn’t lost on the authors of the Bible. Even David, Israel’s greatest king, caused all sorts of problems. When the Bible refers to God as king, it is inviting us to see the stark contrast between God and typical human rulers.

Consider some of the adjectives Psalm 145 uses for God, the trueking: merciful, compassionate, patient, good, trustworthy, faithful (vv. 8, 9, 13). The psalmist talks about how God’s goodness and compassion extends to all people, unlike those human leaders who show favoritism to special interest groups. While getting the attention of a human dignitary might require some kind of special connection, the true king is accessible to everyone who calls out to the Lord sincerely (v. 18).

At this point you may be asking, if God is such a great leader, why are we stuck here slumming it with these other goofballs?

Jesus said,

“Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!” – Matthew 4:17

The good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ, includes the incredibly important message that the king of heaven will also rule the earth soon enough. For this reason, we are all invited to change our hearts and lives; to turn away from sin and rely less on the broken systems of the world.

Remember we said one of the characteristics of the true king is patience?

There will be times, particularly when we’re not thrilled with the people in charge, when we wish that God would hurry up and take over already. But let’s not forget that the true king doesn’t rule like humans do. While, far too often, sovereigns and politicians and even faith leaders use oppression, coercion, and deception to gain power, God is establishing the kingdom of heaven patiently, gently, hospitably.

It would have been no trouble at all for God to send his Son down to earth with armies of angels, demanding the unwavering loyalty of every person in the world, crushing anyone who stood in the way. Instead, the Son of Man was humble. For thousands of years now he has been using love to inspire people to choose to become citizens of the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus, the Lord and true king, is not someone to roll his eyes at. He is someone to lift up on high by declaring his worthiness to the world around us as we change our hearts and lives in preparation for his imminent arrival.

Dear God, so many things demand our loyalty in this world, but only you deserve it. Help us to devote ourselves to the kingdom of heaven and the things that matter to the true king: loving our neighbor, caring for people in need, pursuing mercy and justice. We honor you for your goodness, compassion, faithfulness, and for so much more. Amen.