Have you ever thought about being born into Royalty or maybe marrying someone and becoming a Royal? Have you ever thought about what it would mean to be part of the Royal family?
Or have you ever considered what it would be like to be at a Royal wedding…?
Royal Wedding? Something like this maybe?!
Unique
Did you know that you have an unbelievable value to God? Do you realise that the word ‘individual’ means that you alone are like you? It means that you are distinct – unique – a ‘one-off’.
Between 2004 and 2011 (and I’m sure, since then), lots of vulnerable teenage girls in the North West of England were being groomed and then sexually abused by men who deliberately targeted them, said they loved the girls but then raped, abused and attacked them. That is not love. Many of the girls were from difficult backgrounds and hadn’t really experienced true love. They had been rejected by families sometimes and by others. They liked the attention, found it exciting and liked the fact that they were wanted. This is totally understandable. But sadly it wasn’t true love – it was a way of gaining trust so the girls could be sexually abused. Sadly the communities involved in this abuse didn’t want to face the truth and nor did senior police or senior officials who should have been protecting the girls. Fortunately people in the community, politics, social services and police did stand up for these girls and many men were imprisoned.
Across our world, there are people who are alone, empty, rejected and vulnerable. Many people are abused by people more powerful than them. We should fight for justice for these people. But there is also another solution and that is to let people know how valuable they are to God. Once we understand that we have huge value and are totally loved by God, we can stand up against abuse. When we know who we are in God, this value gives us energy to go out and be who God made us to be and helps people not be abused.
The truth is that God loves you and wants you. He won’t abuse you but has good plans for you, hope and a future.
It also means that if people know God, they should take a stand for truth and not allow wrong things to happen.
Help!
God will bring healing and make us whole if we ask him and let us.
- Will you ask God to help you – to heal you and make you whole – to mend and restore the broken bits inside you? Ask him now.
- Do you know anyone who needs God to heal them and help them? Pray for them now and if you can, share the truth that God loves them and wants to help them. It doesn’t matter who we are or what we’ve done, God is always there…
Friend Request
Do you also know that the Bible talks about you as being ‘accepted’. You know when you send someone a friend request on Facebook (or other social media / websites), someone may ‘accept’ your friend request. But with God you are already accepted – you don’t even have to send a friend request! God did that 2000 years ago when Jesus died on the cross. In fact, God sent you a friend request – all you have to do is say yes!
Jigsaw
In many ways we’re like a broken jigsaw. What God does is to put us back together again. We just need to ask for his help and say yes!
Beloved
OK so this is a bit of a ye olde word but what it means is ‘dearly loved’ or ‘much loved’. You are much loved by God. And you are ‘highly favoured’ – which means you have a place of special honour and privilege before God. Not because of who you are but because of who God is!
Back in the book of Luke, an angel appeared to Mary and gave her the news that she was going to be the mother of Jesus. Quite a big day for her! But then when we look at the Bible book of Ephesians (in a version called the New King James Version – NKJV), we read that God says we are ‘accepted in the beloved.’
But this doesn’t really do justice to what God is saying. In fact the same word the Bible uses to say Mary was ‘highly favoured’ is the same word that is used to say ‘accepted’ in Ephesians. It kind of sounds like God say ‘Oh OK then, I suppose I’ll accept you…’ But that’s not what it says. What it should really say is ‘you are highly favoured by God who dearly loves you.’ To God, you already are royalty!
You aren’t just tolerated by God – you are celebrated by God!
Say It Out Loud
Why not say this out loud and then go away and keep saying it to yourself – maybe not out loud in public as people may think you’re a bit weird – or do it if that helps you!
“I believe the Bible when it says that I am highly favoured by God and much loved by him.”
The Bible (1 Peter 2.9-10)
Let’s also look at another bit of the Bible – just two verses. We’ll read it in two different versions of the Bible to help us get a good idea of what God is saying to us. Different Bible versions don’t mean the Bible is different – they are just different ways of saying the same truths. (The Bible says the same but obviously language changes, people speak in different languages and we can read different versions to help the Bible make sense to us).
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
NIV version
But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.
The Message version
Royal Family Highlights Video
God wants you to know that you’re not just royalty who can sit back and do nothing. You’re not here on earth to abuse others or misuse your time or talents. Instead, God has made you so you can be a light to other people. You’re here to make a difference, to bring God’s kind of justice and to demonstrate how good a King God is. You are a royal ambassador. You have access to the King and you have an important role to play for the King.
Question – what kind of ‘highlights’ video would you like to describe your life? How can you partner with God to see your God-dreams and God-visions happen? Spend time with God now asking him for direction, letting him know what’s on your heart and ask God to use you as a royal, loved son or daughter of the King.
Your Royal Scroll
To download this, drag the image below (or right click and save) onto your desktop or device. Or download the PDF (A4 page with two scrolls on for you to print off and cut)