A Monarch’s Life … Hello readers…I hope you enjoy this devotion based on the life of a Monarch—but it isn’t what you are thinking! This devotion is about a human Monarch—Queen Elizabeth II. Since she is reaching her Platinum Jubilee this early June 2022, I wanted to share a few things about her that are things that can help us as well.

Here are just a few facts about the “Queen Mum” in case you didn’t know:

*She is the longest reigning monarch in British history.
*The people of Britain call her a stable, faithful, and dignified leader.
*She is an entrepreneur for her people, leading them steadily into a modern age.
*She was only 27 years old when she began her reign on June 2, 1953.
*She is 100% devoted to her people with her personal devotion and public service.

We could go on about so much more, but the reason I wanted to celebrate this great woman in history is her faith, of which she is quite vocal in sharing. Behind the ‘Crown’ is a woman with a deep profound and personal faith. Throughout her 70 years as Queen, she has had to endure many hardships, such as the dissolution of the British Empire, political upheavals, international crises, national tragedies, family deaths, and the tabloid travails of her children and grandchildren. But throughout all her trials and triumphs, Her Majesty credits her personal faith in Jesus Christ as the steadying anchor to her life and reign.

Dudley Delffs has worked with the Queen on a new biography, The Faith of Queen Elizabeth: The Poise, Grace, and Quiet Strength Behind the Crown. This is not your normal “what I did” stuff but a deep spiritual biography—something never written for any of the reigning monarchs both past and present. This book displays Her Majesty’s personal devotion and public service, giving you a fuller, richer picture of the woman who’s led a nation with unwavering faith and resolve, bridging the 20th to the 21st century.

Those of us on “this side of the pond” hear very little about the strength and faith of Queen Elizabeth II. We just hear the tabloids which are indeed a “British fetish” and I find that very sad. This woman has changed history in many ways and her faith in God and her people were the cornerstone of her leadership. Strong leaders are hard to find this day; look at our ying-and-yang leaders here in the USA. It’s scary the way they flout with the wrong to make it look right.

The Queen has to balance the expectations of “the Crown” with family and country. That has to be a very tough job but she has managed that for 70 years and is as beloved today as her first walk on the royal carpet in 1953. I share this because this woman does not want to waver from the faith she has in God. It instills her leadership and I believe we all can learn something from that.

We are all leaders in a sense—some on the “big stage” and, for most of us, leading our family, friends, business, etc. Imagine what it would be like, if—from the Oval Office to the crop-pickers, from the Fortune 500 companies to the struggling single business—that folks would lead with principles of faith, integrity, and a sense of empowering others. Would that not change millions of people (let alone have a more friendly work environment)—I think so! In fact, Scripture tells us in Colossians 3:17—using the Amplified Bible:

Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him],
giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

I think we should all give a “hurrah” for the Queen, and take a few tidbits from her life of faith and resolve and put them to use. We may not wear a crown or have millions of adoring fans or millions of $$ — but we have family and friends and co-workers we mingle with daily. Perhaps a dose of “monarchy-faith put in action” may enhance those relationships and empower our lives and those of others.

In closing, I think you might enjoy one of the Queen’s most favorite quotes: “The world is not the most pleasant place. Eventually your parents leave you and nobody is going to go out of their way to protect you unconditionally. You need to learn to stand up for yourself and what you believe and sometimes, pardon my language, kick some ass.”

OK, what can you say but “Long live the Queen!”  AMEN.