Preparing the Way of the Lord!
Friday, December 17, 2004
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, Thank You that our worship of You is not only for this life, but for all eternity! I praise You that You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, that You alone—Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are worthy of all of our worship. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit right now that I may be faithful and obedient in all I do today. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God’s Word Today
(Since the focus of worship Dec. 12, is the Children’s Program “Cradle to Crowns,” the Scripture readings this week will come from the program. We will expand on each of the Scriptures and invest a couple days to examining each!
Isaiah 9:6-7
6For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the LORD Almighty will guarantee this!
Psalm 149:1-4
1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.
2 O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King.
3 Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp.
4 For the LORD delights in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.
Revelation 4:9-11
9Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one who lives forever and ever. And they lay their crowns before the throne and say,
11 “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created.”
Reflecting on God's Word
What’s the first thing you think of when you think of heaven?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word
What is the response of the twenty-four elders to the living beings worshiping God? (4:9-10)
What is the focus point of heaven according to this Scripture (4:9-11)
Understanding God's Word
What does this Scripture teach us about heaven?
What do we learn about worship from this Scripture?
Applying God's Word to Our Lives
How does this glimpse of heaven impact the way we live here and now?
Thoughts...Laying Down our Crowns...
Here on earth everyone is looking for glory and honor for themselves. But the scene in heaven shows us that when we understand—truly understand—who God is, looking for glory for ourselves will be the last thing on our minds. The focus of heaven is God, and the primary activity of heaven is worship. While, our Scripture yesterday told us that God crowns the humble with salvation, we find that in heaven, we will take those crowns and lay them down before Jesus. As we go about our days here on earth, the best practice for being with God in heaven for eternity is to put Him first! After all, He alone is worthy of worship and praise in the first place. He alone is perfect, flawless, and altogether holy and righteous. The next time we start to think about how well we did something, let’s give the credit to the one who gave us the ability to do it in the first place—God. And when we start thinking that status and position are the goal of life let’s remember that God alone is the end of life. Let’s make today, a today of worship—a day as days will be in heaven—a day of casting our “crowns” before Him!