Devoted to the Coming King

Devoted to the Coming King

Give the king your justice, O God,
  and your righteousness to a king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness,
  and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
  and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
  give deliverance to the needy,
  and crush the oppressor.

May he live while the sun endures,
  and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
  like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish
  and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
  who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name for ever;
  may his glory fill the whole earth. Amen and Amen.

Psalm 72:1-7; 18-19

Marriage is a curious relationship. It’s a relationship with another human being like no other. It’s a relationship that requires us to go all in. We enter marriage on the promise of devotion and affection from the other. And the curious thing is we enter this relationship not having received the promise in full, knowing at some point the other person is likely to come short of our expectations. 

So, this raises an interesting question - what would it take for you to go all in with God? 

In Psalm 72, we read about someone who goes all in with God, and not just the Psalmist, but the whole world (v8–11). Why? 

Because God brings about righteousness and justice (v2-4, 13–14). This is what causes people to worship God continually and remain devoted to him. Because it’s not just for well-to-do people living in cities. But under God’s rule everyone is better off - even those who are on the very fringes of our society. 

This is why at the start of the Psalm, the Psalmist petitions God to give the king his justice and his righteousness to the royal son (v1–2). The Psalmist sees this rule of God being established through God’s appointed king, and for this righteousness and justice to continue through his offspring. 

Even though God’s kingdom is not yet fully here, the psalmist can’t help but burst into praise — and calls all creation to join in (v18-19). 

Ultimately, we know from the New Testament that God’s righteousness and justice has been established by Jesus (Heb 1:8–9). It is Jesus who has triumphed over our oppressors through the cross. As well as nailing our record of debt to the cross, he has disarmed all other rulers and authorities by humiliating and triumphing over them (Col 2:14-15). By Him, we have been given every spiritual blessing in abundance (Eph 1:3–10). And this is only the first fruits of what is to come (Eph 1:13–14, compare with 2 Cor 5:5). 

Therefore, Jesus is the one who we should be going all in with. He is the only one who we can devote ourselves to and not be disappointed. He is the one who has come as the full display of God’s righteousness and justice, and it is Him who is worthy of our worship and devotion.

This is the hope of Advent: in the waiting, in the longing, in the midst of injustice and despair, love breaks through. The child born in Bethlehem is the king the psalmist longed for, God’s answer to our cries for justice and peace, and the king who is coming again.

Rev Jason Forbes is a Disability Advocate with Jericho Road, a social service equipping Presbyterian Churches across NSW and the ACT to respond to the needs of people with disabilities. Jason has cerebral palsy and speaks with many churches and community groups around NSW and the ACT about the importance of disability inclusion. He has completed a Masters in Theology, and enjoys cycling, traveling, motorsport, and deep conversation.

This devotional is the third in a series of daily email devotionals for Advent 2025 reflecting on the realities of our broken world along with the unshakable hope that love still breaks through. It explores how God’s love disrupts, heals, and transforms - breaking through darkness, despair, and injustice to bring light, joy, and renewal.

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Common Grace is a diverse movement of individuals, churches and communities passionate about Jesus and justice. We have come together as those from different Christian traditions who stand in the continuity of the historic Christian faith, centred on the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ as witnessed to in holy scripture. This series highlights the diversity of followers of Jesus across these lands. These voices may not agree with one another (or with you), but they are each an expression of longing for the God whose love we see break through in Jesus.

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