The Promise of the King

‘I will be thy King.’—Hos. xiii. lo.
E knows our need of a king. He knows the hopeless anarchy, not only of a world, but of a heart, ‘without a king.’  Is there a more desolate cry than ‘We have no king’? —none to reverence and love, none to obey, none to guide and protect us and rule over us, none to keep us in that truest freedom of whole-hearted loyalty. Have we not felt that we really want a strong hand over our hearts? that having our own way is not so good as another’s way, if only that other is one to whom our hearty and entire confidence and allegiance can be and are given ? Has there not been an echo in our souls of the old cry, ‘Give me a king’ ?— a cry that nothing can still but this Divine promise, ‘will be thy king ! ‘

1 Hos. iii. 4. 2 Hos. x. 3. 3 Hos. xiii. 10.

But the promise has been given ; and now, if the old desolate wail of a kingless heart comes up in an hour of faithless forgetfulness, His word comes like a royal clarion, ‘Now, why dost thou cry out aloud? Is there no king in thee?’ And then the King’s gracious assurance falls with hushing power, ‘ I will be thy King.’
How glad we are that He Himself is our King! For we are so sure that He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself “^ in this inner kingdom, which we cannot govern at all. We are so glad to take Him at His word, and give up the government into His hands, asking Him to be our King in very deed, and to set up His throne of peace in the long disturbed and divided citadel,^ praying that He would bring every thought into captivity to His gentle obedience.
We have had enough of revolutions and revolts, of tyrants and traitors, of lawlessness and of self-framed codes. Other lords (and oh, how many !) have had dominion over us.  He has permitted us to be their servants, that now, by blessed and restful contrast, we may know His service.  Now we only want ‘another King, one Jesus.’  He has made us willing in the day of His power,  and that was the first act of His reign, and the token that ‘of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end ‘ in our hearts.

1 Mic. iv. 9. 2 Phil.iii. 21. 3 Rom. vii. 19.
4 2 Cor. X. 5. 5 Isa. xxvi. 13. ^ 2 Chron. xii. 8.
‘ Acts xvii. 7. 8 Ps. ex. 3. * Isa. ix. 7.

Lord, be Thou my King this day ! Reign more absolutely in me than ever before. Let the increase of Thy government be continual and mighty in me, so that Thy name may be glorified in me now and forever.^
Reign over me, Lord Jesus!
Oh, make my heart Thy throne! It shall be thine forever,
It shall be Thine alone!