Following a meeting at Mildmay Uganda—a specialized center that provides holistic outpatient care for HIV and AIDS patients—I was summoned by Mildmay’s public relations director. “We are welcoming the Queen of England to Mildmay tomorrow,” she said. “Our pediatric patients are preparing to demonstrate their native costumes and traditional dances for Her Majesty. Would you kindly serve as the queen for the children’s final dress rehearsal?”

A few minutes later, processional music played and a stand-in Duke of Edinburgh escorted me to the royals’ designated area. As I sat in the chair that Queen Elizabeth would occupy the next day, I marveled at the opportunity the children would have to lift their frail little arms and dance before royalty.

Then I considered how magnificent it is that all of us can and will demonstrate great honor and respect for our Lord Jesus Christ. The Scriptures promise:

• “The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to Him. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him. For royal power belongs to the Lord. He rules all the nations” (Psalm 22:27-28).

• “But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore—the Lord above is mightier than these! . . . Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever” (Psalm 93:4-5).

• “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and redeemed His people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of His servant David, just as He promised through His holy prophets long ago” (Luke 1:68-70).

• “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to Me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God’ ” (Romans 14:11).

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Romans 8:19-39