October 29, 2020

Come, Let Us Adore Him

Revelation 4

Amy Smith
Thursday's Devo

October 29, 2020

Thursday's Devo

October 29, 2020

Central Truth

We worship out of adoration and devotion. Ideas, things, and people will inevitably change and ultimately fail us. God is never-changing, faithful, and perfect. Let us worship Him with our lives, looking forward to the day when we will stand in awe before His perfection and glory.

Key Verse | Revelation 4:8, 11

And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!"
. . .
"Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created."

Revelation 4

The Throne in Heaven

After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings 1 4:5 Or voices, or sounds and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
    who was and is and is to come!”

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11  “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they existed and were created.”

Footnotes

[1] 4:5 Or voices, or sounds

Dive Deeper | Revelation 4

Oh, the things I have worshipped over the years—people, clothing, status, self. All of it has failed me; all of it has left me unsatisfied. And then I met Jesus. When I started to learn who He really is and what He has done for me, I looked forward to singing to Him and about Him. All that seeking and singing shifted how I served and lived. Why wouldn't I sing His praises and live a life pointing to Him? I was a liar and a fraud, yet He took me in just as I was.

Our pastor always ends his teaching with "Have a wonderful week of worship." It's not because he wants us to turn our radios up and jam out in the car. Everything we do, every word we speak, and every decision we make, is an opportunity to worship our Creator and King. Everything we do is an opportunity to point a hurting world to Him. 

Singing praise songs stirs my affections greatly for Him! But true worship is more than singing. It is the posture of our heart, and therefore our lifestyle, despite our circumstances. I used to let my circumstances dictate how I thought of Him and how I lived. Now, even in the midst of challenges and in my weakness, I boast of His power, His mercy, and His faithfulness.  

As humans, we worship and idolize the created—mountains, marriage, money. But it is the Creator who deserves all our adoration and praise. The living creatures in Revelation literally fall down to worship the Lord. The elders throw their crowns before the throne. When I am most free, it is because I have dropped all that I am clinging to and focus all my adoration on God. I can only hope to have a crown to throw before Him—a reflection of my service to Him here on earth. Because of His goodness and mercy, He sent His Son to pay for my misplaced worship, pride, and sins. One day, I'll get to worship Him face to face. That will be the most glorious day!

Discussion Questions

1. We all put things before the Lord—social media, work, even friends and family. Who or what in your day-to-day life do you put before the Lord? Where is your devotion and adoration directed?

2. What stirs your affections for the Lord? This could be walking in nature, reading a book, making art, playing an instrument, etc.

3. We will all live somewhere forever. Does how you live your life today reflect where you will be spending eternity?