A King in Training
Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:14-20
Be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses.
Shasta is the main character in C.S. Lewis’s book The Horse and His Boy. An orphan of unknown background, he is raised by a poor fisherman. One day Shasta discovers he is on the verge of being sold into slavery. So he escapes with Bree, a talking horse, and the two head north for Bree’s homeland, Narnia. Shasta is overjoyed. He’s been longing his whole life to go north, and Bree actually suspects that Shasta is from there. Through a series of adventures Shasta discovers that he belongs to a royal family, and he is actually the long-lost son of a king.
We too are royalty, though we may not be aware of it. Welcomed into the family of God, we are sons and daughters of the King (Matthew 25:34; John 1:12-13; Romans 8:14-17).
In Deuteronomy 17, God lays out the qualifications and conditions for Israel’s future kings. God knows what his people need, and he knows the troubles a king will bring them. The king must be someone whom God has chosen, and it will be very important that the king is humble. (That’s hard when you’re a king.) The king should not think more of himself than of others. Further, the king was to guide God’s people in living the way God called them to live. In this way they would be a blessing to other nations (Genesis 12:2-3).
As children of God, this is how we are called to live as well.
Father, help me to see how you call me to reign with you. May my eyes and my heart be opened to this high calling of being a ruler for you in this world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
About the author — Pete Byma
Pete Byma has served as a pastor of congregations in Michigan and in Washington state. Serving now as a pastor in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he is also a consultant/coach for churches experiencing conflict, and he enjoys equipping and establishing people in ministry. He is married to Cheri, and they have four grown children and six grandchildren. Pete is also a registered soccer official and enjoys bicycling.
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