Will you have a crown to lay at His feet?
This week we saw the end of the life of Queen Elizabeth, who had reigned over her nation for over 70 yrs. She reigned longer than any British monarch, and in those years, she remained steadfast and lived by the words she shared as a new queen in 1953. “I declare before you that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service, and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong,” But what was more remarkable was her testimony that she wished Jesus would return so she could lay her earthly crown at his feet.
In sharing this with children, you might ask if they, too, would desire to live their life to honor those they would serve. Bridge that from their desire to what they are doing now to serve their families or others.
Hundreds of years before Queen Elizabeth, Solomon reigned over Israel. He was a wise king and, in fact, was the wisest king to have ever lived, thanks to God, who gave him that wisdom. He wrote much, but perhaps his book Ecclesiastes reveals his depth of wisdom regarding the beginning and ending of life. Listen to his words: “A generation comes, and a generation goes, but the earth remains the same through the ages.” [Ecc 1:4] As Solomon noted, we have seen the ending of a generation in the life of Queen Elizabeth.
So what does this have to do with children’s ministry, you ask? As teachers of little ones or even big ones, we want to teach about the true King of Kings, King Jesus, that will one day come and reign over the earth. He will truly be steadfast, immovable, and wiser than Solomon. He will live longer than Queen Elizabeth or King Solomon. He died for our sins around the age of 33. His reign will be one of peace, and He will reign forever and ever. The prophet Isaiah wrote of his coming: “His name is Wonderful Adviser, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” [Is 9:6]
It is hard for little ones to understand forever and ever, but the Queen and Solomon desired to live a life of honor. Share these truths with the little ones before you so that they might know and trust God for their life and live a life that honors Him. Pray for them to hear these words:
Well, done thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord.
Ask the children if they will be faithful servants as the Queen and the King? Will God be pleased with your service?
sonshine
Coordinator of the Heartprints Blog Page: Gaye-Ellen Austin or SonShine has a passion to train people to be successful Bible students, following the words of Paul to his protégé Timothy: “ entrust to faithful people who will be competent to teach others as well.” (2 Tim 2:2). She taught 15 years in public schools and 12 years in a Christian school where she was coordinator of the NILD program for learning disabled students. She has taught Precept upon Precept classes and was a discussion group leader for 10+ yrs. in BSF in Daytona Beach. Fl. and Atlanta, GA. Also, Gaye-Ellen is the writer for the https://www.facebook.com/bible.org/ She also has her own personal blog page: https://sonshinesjournal.com/ David is a full time director for Bible.org as well as his secular job. He and Gaye-Ellen along with their son, Dr. Mark Austin, daughter-in-law, Dr. Blanca Austin and granddaughter Christina (https://christinaaustinlopez.com.) live in the Dallas area. Gaye-Ellen's goal is to present Christ and live Christ glorifying God. One of her favorite verses about the role as parents, teachers, and adults for the next generation comes from Psalm 78:4, "but tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord."
