Trinity Lutheran Church

May all kings fall down before Him, all nations serve Him!
Psalm 72:11

All Kings Bow Before Him

Of the coming Christ, the psalmist prays, “May all kings fall down before Him” (72:11). The psalmist is here praying that even the greatest people on earth—kings—would recognize who the Christ is and thus bow in worship before Him, as the Wise Men did. In our reading, we observe how the ruthless King Herod pretended to want to bow before the newborn king, but really, he wanted the opposite—he wanted the Christ to be murdered. Thirty years later, King Herod’s son—who, like his father, was self-serving—mocked Jesus as He stood before him (Luke 23:6–12). This second King Herod did not bow before Jesus and certainly contributed to His death. Rulers of the earth had Jesus crucified, but God used this for our salvation.

Ultimately, all will bow before Jesus. When these unbelieving kings died, they shamefully bowed before Christ as their judge. To bow before Christ in this life is to trust in His salvation, and those who trust in Him as Savior have forgiveness and eternal life. Indeed, ultimately all—including kings—will bow before the Savior, whether in shame on Judgment Day or honorably in this life.
Heavenly Father, send us Your Spirit that we may continually bow before Christ as our Savior. In His name. Amen.
Daily Devotion via Portals of Prayer
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Yet for Your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
Psalm 44:22

As Sheep to Be Slaughtered?

In one of the most comforting and encouraging sections of Scripture, Paul quotes Psalm 44:22, which strangely informs us that we are constantly being killed and we are like sheep appointed for the slaughter. The psalmist here reminds us that God appears to be continually rejecting His people in their tribulation, distress, persecution, and the like.

Paul experienced such agonies, and so have Christians through the centuries. We may feel like sheep being slaughtered. When we experience such sin-caused miseries, Paul reminds us that we are neither being condemned by God nor being separated from God’s love. We know this because, in our place, the Son of God was led like a lamb to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7). And since He died for our sins, nothing can separate us from God’s love. And because we are cleansed in Christ’s blood-bought forgiveness, we cannot be condemned.
Lord Jesus Christ, we praise You that You were led as a lamb to be slaughtered for our salvation. So when we seem to be lambs led to the slaughter, help us to believe we are more than conquerors, because nothing can separate us from Your self-sacrificing love.
Amen.
Daily Devotion via Portals of Prayer
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