Imagine a large room. In the center stands an impressive throne carved from gold and adorned with precious stones. You bow before it. The one who sits on the throne is so powerful and wonderful that your only logical reaction is worship.
Who sits on this throne? A king? A queen? A prince, perhaps?
What if a closer look revealed a laptop sitting on the throne? Or a basketball? Or even a mirror? That would be silly, right? Those things don't deserve a fancy throne. They don't drive us to our knees in a posture of worship, do they?
The Bible describes Jesus as the "King of Kings." As we've already learned this month,Revelation 4:1–11 provides a powerful description of Him on His throne. It's a sight that's so spectacular that all of the other creatures in the room feel compelled to worship the King alone.
He is certainly worthy of our worship, but so often we put other things on the throne of our hearts. I recently read a sermon that put it this way:
Everyday whether we realize it or not we determine what is most important to us and put that very thing on the throne of our hearts. And may I suggest that what we place there will rule us.
Ouch. That stings a bit. Because I know that if I could see into the throne room of my own heart, I would most likely see a million things other than Jesus sitting on the throne. Most often I put myself in that place. I also put my achievements, my goals, my time, my relationships, my entertainment choices, my need for affirmation, and even my desire for sleep on the throne designed for Jesus alone. As a result, those things often rule my heart and capture my worship and affection.
You might crown your romantic relationship the most important thing, or your popularity, or beauty, or good grades, or comfort. This Christmas season it is so easy to dethrone Jesus in favor of gifts, or busyness, or time with friends. The truth is that none of those things hold a candle to Jesus our King.
I can't see into the throne room of your heart. I don't know what or who your most important thing is. But I do know that only Jesus is fit to rule our lives. Why not take a moment to clear the clutter off His throne and worship Him?
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:28–29).
