Behind the Curtain of Revelation预览

Day Three - Worship Like Water On A Rock

Read Revelation 4-5

Have you ever decided to perfect a new manoeuvre and then began to practise it over and over, and over again, until you got it? Once your muscle memory learned it, you were able to keep that trick on lock. Worship is similar in the way that it takes time and focus to begin practising the kind of worship that God loves. Once you learn how to worship in spirit and truth, your life will change forever for the good. You will have worshipping God as your lifestyle on lock.

You may not be used to thinking about worship in this way, but the fact is even though everyone is a worshipper, not everyone worships God in the way that He desires and deserves. The Book of Revelation is an excellent teacher as to what it means to worship well. It all begins by seeing God in His majesty on the throne. The Prophet Isaiah famously saw God on the throne, with His robe filling the temple, and he fell down in worship and responded by saying, “Here I am. Send me.” (Isaiah 6:1-8). His response shows us what true worship does for us; we first see God, and then we respond by faithful obedience to go and do whatever He tells us to do.

In Revelation chapters 4 and 5 we are taken into the throne room of God where we witness a heavenly drama played out for us. The Father is on the throne, the Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered takes the scroll, and the seven-fold Spirit of God is before the throne. There are 4 living creatures and 24 elders around the throne involved in the worship of the One on the throne, and the 24 elders lay down their crowns in adoration and praise. The Apostle John was taken up in the spirit to witness it all so that he could write it down for us to see (4:2). How encouraging it is to see our God enthroned in victory and receiving true worship! It invites us to join in with the song of heaven and give Him all of the praise.

What would you say is your idea of worship? Is it listening to a music mix on your favourite player? Is it going to a church service? Or is it a quiet place where you bow down and devote your heart to His service daily? If you learn how to make worshipping God in spirit and truth a regular, daily practice it will mould your heart into a channel of praise. In the same way that water dripped on a rock consistently over time will create a channel for the water to flow down, so will worship of God consistently change your heart and keep His praises flowing through you.

Reflection

Read Revelation 4:1-11. In verse 8 how do the living creatures display humility in their worship? How can you show humility? And in Verses 10-11 why do the elders praise God? What reasons can you find to praise Him? Make it your daily routine, and get the image of God in the throne room on lock in your life.