Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64Who Do You Want to Be? C onsider Psalm 37. David paints a portrait of two starkly differ- ent people. The first portrait is of those who live as their own king. They are consumed with anger. They’re quick to draw the sword and slay their neighbor. They fret and envy, always looking at what others have. They’re consumed with greed. Their end is destruction. They disappear without a trace. The Lord laughs at them in all their haughtiness. Their strength will be cut down; they have no future. This is the image of people desperate to be king, to be in charge, to rule over their own kingdom. You can wear that crown, but you will die wearing it, angry and alone. Consider the alternative. David paints a second portrait of people who are com- pletely free to trust God and obey. It’s a picture of those who live securely under the protection and blessing of a King—a good and powerful and trustworthy King. They know more joy and peace than most people could imagine. They trust in the Lord and do good. They choose the way of righteousness and trust God with the consequences. They forsake anger and choose not to fret; they trust that God knows what He is doing. They speak wisdom and justice and learn God’s law. They give generously and don’t worry about what they’ll get out of it. What’s the outcome for those who live this way, for those who follow Jesus as King? Blessings unimaginable! They are vindicated and upheld, protected and blessed. They inherit all that their heavenly Father, the King, has for them— up to and including the very Kingdom! The Lord is their salvation and strong- hold; He helps them and delivers them. How Do You Give Up the Throne? I ’m guessing that you, like me, want to live this way. You want to be the per- son in David’s second portrait—the one who serves under the kingship of Jesus. But if you’re anything like me, you have a problem. How do we douse the very real flames of fury that erupt in our hearts from even the slightest spark of insult? How do we depose ourselves? The answer goes back to this statement: The One who wears the crown dies. The Exalted One of Isaiah 6 exchanged His royal crown for one made of thorns. He exchanged His throne room for this fallen earth. He exchanged the unending praises of the seraphim for the heckling of the crowd. He exchanged His rights and privileges for the lot of a servant condemned to die. He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Did you hear that promise? It’s not merely our forgiveness that Jesus secures on the cross; He accomplishes all that is necessary for us to actually walk in righteousness! This is the heart of Zechariah’s joy in Luke 1:68–79 as he prophesies about Jesus when John the Baptist is born. He declares that the long-awaited promise is fulfilled in Jesus—that Jesus will deliver us from every last enemy (including sin and Ī WWW.AGRM.ORG MARCH/APRIL 2017 35 They trust in the Lord and do good. They choose the way of righteousness and trust God with the consequences. They forsake anger and choose not to fret; they trust that God knows what He is doing.