Faith, Hope

An Anthem for A King

When I moved to Thailand, the most heartwarming thing I noticed was the nation’s profound devotion to their king. His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej truly is ‘The Great Father’ who dedicated his life to improving the welfare of his people.

On October 13th 2016, His majesty King Bhumibol passed away. His passing plunged the nation of 67 million people into grief. I was moved to tears watching about 3,00,000 people gather outside the Royal Palace to sing the King’s anthem. Although today marks a year, the grief continues to be felt deeply. He reigned this nation with great compassion and will always reign in our hearts.

I have learnt so much as I observe this beautiful country cope during this time of grief. I’ve learnt about respect, reverence and gratitude, to name a few. Thailand has perfectly demonstrated what it means to be devoted to a King. Moreover, it challenged me to consider my relationship with my King.

Jesus stepped down from His throne for me. He had equal status with God, but He set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a human for me. More than often, we focus on Jesus being our friend and our brother, but do I acknowledge Him as King? If Christ is King, He deserves my honor, devotion, and obedience. I’m learning to acknowledge Him as King and trust His sovereignty in my life. The goal is to nurture my appreciation until it blossoms into more love and devotion towards Him.

I consider it an honor to have lived in Thailand during the reign of King Bhumibol. It has been a privilege to witness the end of a majestic era and the beginning of the next and I’m grateful for the lessons I learned on the way.

May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” -Matthew 6:10

You can hear the anthem here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NfehonbaQg
Photo Credit: Kiccha Buranond

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