One of the
fascinating things I have learned about children is the way they will consistently
reference to the adults who are watching over them. Sometimes they will give a
glance at a caregiver just to see if everything is okay, or if the caregiver is
noticing them. Children love to see adults smile on them as they are enjoying
the serious activity of play.
Other times children
give a sneaky look to see if the caregiver is watching because they have something
mischievous on their minds. At these times, they hope the adult is looking in
another direction because they want to “get away” with something they know they
should not be doing.
One of the
fascinating things about the book of Revelation is how it meets our
never-outgrown need to reference ourselves to our ultimate caregiver, our
Father who is in heaven. The description of the heavenly throne room of God in
Revelation 4 and 5 gives us the focus for our referencing, and satisfies all we
could ever require for both our security (how God behaves toward us), and our
sanctification (how we behave toward God).
When we are
going through all manner of troubles and hardships, we can look at the revelation
of God’s throne room, and the description of the one who is seated on the
throne, and see how he is looking upon us, and caring for us, and watching over
us, and carrying out plans and purposes that are for our good, no matter what
things look like in the world around us.
The one who is
seated on the throne is the center of all things, the ultimate power and
authority. Every beast, antichrist, prostitute, Babylon, false prophet, army of
the earth, or expression of the red dragon himself, is taken up by the power
and authority of the one who sits on the throne so that every expression of
trouble and hardship is worked for good during all the years of our earthly
lives. At the same time, all God’s children will be safely gathered into the
eternal paradise where there are everlasting pleasures at the right hand of the
one who sits on the throne forever and ever.
Because our
heavenly Father is the center of everything, God’s children can reference
ourselves to his throne and see that all is well no matter how much earthly
experience suggests otherwise. We can hear our Father’s voice calling, “’You are my servant, I have
chosen you and not cast you off’; fear not, for I am with you; be not
dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will
uphold you with my righteous right hand.”[1]
At the same
time, we can reference ourselves to this highest of thrones when we are tempted
by the world, the flesh, and the devil, and see that there is never a time that
his eye does not see what we are doing. The same eye that sees all we are going
through when we feel abandoned and alone, is the eye that sees even the
smallest thought and intent of our hearts when we are teased by earthly fears
and pleasures to leave that narrow road that leads to heaven.
There are
wondrous applications of the double-sided coin of referencing to the throne
room of heaven, far too many to justify calling this a Ping, so I will conclude
with this divinely inspired exhortation and let it speak for itself: “Therefore let us be
grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer
to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”[2]
From
my heart,
Monte
© 2013 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
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