April 20 | Revelation 4:1-11

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DAILY READING

Revelation 4:1-11

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REFLECTION

Lasting Value

By Dave Mann

There are a lot of different interpretations of Revelation.  One crucial point to remember is how chapter 4 begins with the vision of heaven.  What is the first thing that John sees?  As the door to heaven opens before John’s eyes, he sees the throne of God.  The Lord God Almighty is seated on the throne.  Surrounding the throne are the four living creatures and 24 elders.  The four living creatures are worshipping the Lord:

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,    

who was and is and is to come!

The 24 elders are seated in thrones around the throne of God and wear crowns.  But in a moment, they leave their thrones and cast their crowns before the throne of God and they worship:

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.

In some ways, the elders are honored with their own thrones and crowns, but in the presence of the only One worthy of The Throne, they fall down in obeisance and their crowns come off.

In my basement, I have a box that I have not opened since the last time that we changed address.  It is full of certificates from childhood as well as a tarnished trophy or two.  If anyone else were to look inside that box, they would not appreciate the dog-eared certificates and the dusty gold-colored plastic and cheap metal statues.  But somehow those mementos have found a place in my heart.  I value them because in some way they seem to have brought value to my life. 

Each of us in our own way may have awards that we have earned over the course of lives.  What is it that makes you feel worthy, successful, or a step-above?  It could be a Little League championship trophy, or an extra braid over your graduation gown, or a promotion which enabled a rich financial portfolio, a Super Bowl ring, or a gold Rolex received upon retirement.  Whatever it is that we have that makes us feel like a success, we need to be ready to cast it before the presence of the Lord in his ultimate glory.  The only thing that brings lasting value and worth is the opinion that the Lord God has for us, not because we have earned it but because of who HE is.

PRAYER

Lord God Almighty, by your grace you have allowed me to accumulate some very temporary moments of praise and glory in this earthly life.  As a rehearsal for that time in eternity when the 24 elders will cast off their crowns, I throw before you all symbols of value and worth. All glory and honor are yours, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DAVE MANN

I am a Pastor for Internationals (retired) in the UALC community. I am married to Pam, father of four, and grandfather of seven. Pam and I have lived twenty of our years in other countries including France, Cameroon, Haiti, and Morocco. In retirement, we continue to enjoy writing devotionals, learning languages, and teaching English to internationals.