The United States has never been ruled by a king unless you count King George of England. For most of the world, kings and queens are a thing of the past. There are, however, twenty-eight countries in the world which still have either a king or a queen. Most of these monarchies are constitutional monarchies. The king or queen holds little, if any, real power. They are little more than figureheads held over for traditional and nostalgic reasons. There are, however, two countries where the king is an absolute monarch, an absolute ruler. These are the Islamic countries of Oman and Saudi Arabia. Both Oman and Saudi Arabia are ruled by Islamic law, but Saudi Arabia has an oppressive government that rules its citizens by a Wahhabi interpretation of the Quran.
Since Saudi Arabia is ruled by religious law, you’d think it would be a wonderful place to live. But according to Amnesty International, Saudi Arabia routinely harasses and imprisons anyone who criticizes the government. Advocates for women’s rights and their families have been persecuted and imprisoned. These accusations have been substantiated by the U.S. State Department who has stated that Saudi Arabia is not a good place to live; it is a place of hatred and violence.
Hatred and violence should not be part of a kingdom ruled by religious law. Fortunately, there is a kingdom of love and peace. This kingdom is the kingdom of God where Jesus is king. Jesus’ kingdom is a place of peace, love, and righteousness. The Bible says: “The kingdom of God is . . . righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).”
As we enter the New Year, I encourage you to seek God’s kingdom. Jesus says: “Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33).” You can experience God’s kingdom this new year, if you seek him. You can be a part of God’s kingdom if you seek him, and you can enjoy God’s kingdom, if you seek him. God is easy to find. You seek and find God by believing. The key that opens the door to God’s kingdom is faith in Jesus. If you believe in Jesus and ask him to forgive your sins, you will find God and you will enter God’s kingdom which is a wonderful, personal relationship with Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
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