The King of Love
by Julie Smith
Can you imagine what it would be like to be adopted into a royal family! Just think, the king of the land being your father! I guess the way you would feel about it would depend on what kind of person the king was, whether he was kind and caring, and made provision for you to adapt to palace life so it didn’t become a prison of isolation and loneliness, and privilege didn’t crowd out personal development and growth. But if he did have your very best interests at heart …
In an earthly sense, it’s fanciful thinking. But in the spirit, those of us, who have gratefully accepted the Lord Jesus’s sacrificial death on our behalf, really do have the privilege of being adopted as sons and daughters of a king – and not just any king, but the King of kings!
I have been meditating on the words of Sir Henry Williams Baker’s rendering of Psalm 23, The King of Love My Shepherd is. Penned in 1868, it is such a reminder that, whilst we may not be rich in an earthly, materialistic sense, how incredibly rich we are to be fathered by the King of love!
This hymn and Psalm 23 itself are a beautiful reminder that, because our Father is the King of love, His goodness towards us never, ever fails. It’s not performance based. It doesn’t change, even when we really mess up. I remember, years ago, when I was in the very depths of depression, a lovely, godly man saying to me, “If you never move off that sofa, it won’t change how much your Father in Heaven loves you.” I found that so hard to believe at the time, but the King of love was wooing me by His Spirit through those words, challenging my negative thinking, because He wants us all to know the truth of what it really means to be adopted as His son or His daughter.
I think the third verse of the hymn is my favourite:
Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love he sought me,
And on his shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.
We all make mistakes, get it wrong and mess things up, but just like the good shepherd in the story of the lost sheep, our Father, never giving up on us, pursues us and seeks us out. And when we are ready to respond to His loving call, there’s no rubbing our noses in our sin, nor keeping a tally of our wrongs to remind us of at a later date. Against everything we might expect, He graciously picks us up and lovingly lays our head on His shoulder, showing us we are forgiven, our slate is wiped completely clean, we are rescued and we are totally safe.
What an incredible privilege to belong to the King of love, who is so tender, patient and kind, giving us the time we need, caring for us and working for our very best through every circumstance of life.
However this year has begun for you, your Father, the King of love, is with you and His goodness faileth never.
Julie Smith is married to Roger, and they have two grown up children. Having received deep healing in her own life, primarily through ministry at Ellel Grange and then attending the Modular School at Glyndley Manor, she went on to join the Glyndley associate ministry team. She now works part-time for Ellel Ministries and is an associate teacher with the ministry. She is passionate to see others restored and released into the abundant life Jesus won for us all.
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