As the nations mourns the death of its queen, we also must bow our knees in thankfulness to God for granting us the blessing of such a queen as this.

Many words have been said in tribute, but it is her constancy that has been most often spoken of. Amidst 70 years of great change, the Queen remained essentially the same.

It is only now, in her passing, that we are beginning to realise what a blessing this was.

Nations generally get the leaders they deserve, but we can safely say we didn’t deserve Queen Elizabeth II, and we certainly didn’t deserve a reign of such length. This can only be due to the grace of God.

God is the ultimate Sovereign, and part of the reason why our Queen served with such faithful devotion and grace was that she understood this. In a book published to commemorate her 90th birthday in 2016, ‘The Servant Queen and the King she serves’, Elizabeth herself professed that Jesus Christ “is my King”.

Many other statements also bear testimony to a woman who lived her life in service to Jesus Christ, dependent upon God. And it is no surprise to read that she would also take opportunity to thank God for His faithfulness to her.

“I have been — and remain — very grateful to you for your prayers and to God for His steadfast love.”

HM Queen Elizabeth II

Therefore, it is only appropriate that we too take time, as we remember a life well lived, to thank God for the glory of His grace, and to pray that the Lord will continue to be merciful to us, that God will save the King.