Last September I had the great joy and privilege of joining a group of mostly female songwriters on a tour through parts of Scotland. Every single day was dreamy and filled with magical moments that left each of us stunned on new levels at God’s creativity. We engaged in some of the most awe-filled times of worship, learned rich pieces of history that you’ll never read about in your school’s history books, and saw countless picturesque views that, had I not seen them with my own eyes, I might not believe they were real.
Over the course of the trip we walked through multiple castles. Among the abundance of spaces, each with their own function, most of these sprawling palaces had a unique and beautifully adorned throne room, where kings and queens would’ve sat as they ruled over their kingdoms. These throne rooms are usually centrally located within the most fortified areas of the castle so as to offer protection in times of unrest. The walls of these rooms would’ve seen the most majestic of ancient ceremonies, received visitors from foreign lands, and witnessed world-changing decisions being made. No one enters or exits the throne room without the permission of the king, and unless it was some sort of formal celebration or ritual, it was only the king’s family or most trusted friends and advisors allowed in.
As a believer, I couldn’t help but wonder how alike and different these ancient halls might be to the place where the King of everything abides. Revelation 4 describes the throne room of Heaven this way . . .
“At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.”
Something tells me that even in their grandest of heydays, the royal corridors of Scotland didn’t even hold a candle to what awaits us in the heavenlies. And the greatest of kings who occupied those venerable thrones? Even they understood their place as a servant to the Creator.
These royal authorities were placed in their positions as earthly rulers to help sustain order and law, and as such would’ve been due much respect, honor, and loyalty. Not a single person would’ve approached the presence of their King without bowing as a sign of submission and reverence.
But there is only one King worthy of the ultimate throne and deserving of the worshipful posture of our hearts. Only one King whose rule is eternal. Only one King whose reign is marked by His holiness, His love, and His sacrifice.
It is very easy, in our 21st century culture, to allow peripheral kings to take a seat where they have no business being. We allow undeserving rulers to take the reigns of our hearts and minds . . . our jobs, our spouses, our children, our ministries . . . and before we even realize what’s happened, all of our worship is being given to a temporal idol that will always fall short. And just like the halls of the ancient fortresses we walked through in Scotland, over time the walls of our hearts become dusty, worn, and brittle.
So what do we do as believers to insure that our hearts’ loyalty remains where it belongs? This is the beauty of being a follower of Jesus. We have constant, unlimited access to the God of universe and he doesn’t just tolerate our presence, He absolutely delights in it. So the most effective thing we could do as Christians is to take full advantage of that access and to seize every opportunity to remember His goodness and faithfulness. When our awareness of His presence is heightened, the ability of other gods to creep in diminishes.
2 Corinthians 4:18 says "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
What are ways that you daily take advantage of your access to the throne room of Heaven? How do you practically keep God on the “throne” of your heart?
Writer
Erica Boutwell
Her passion is leading worship, pouring into the next generation of worship leaders, and discipling women.