First off, it says, "Therefore they are before the throne of God". Do you worship God on His throne or are you trying to steal His seat? Many of try and try and try to reign our own lives. Hence the reason so many people do not want to surrender their lives to Jesus- because that means they have to choose to get off the throne they made for themselves or stop trying to kick God off His, and allow Him to have complete control over their lives. Reality is though, God still reigns and has complete control over their lives and His throne is much bigger and more magnificant that theirs! Who typically sits on a throne? ...what? I can't hear you... A king? YES, A KING! God is a King! If you were to try and march into a castle and tell a king to get off his throne so that you can sit down and reign, what do you think he would do to you? An earthly king would probably have you imprisoned if not killed for your actions! However, our God who is the Ultimate King and reigns over all the earthly kings- has grace. And that grace is sufficient- for you, and for me. See, even as a Christian, we get into a pathetic routine of trying to lead our life, only to find out it doesn't work- then we surrender and let God take control again. That is a part of walking with Jesus, daily surrender, daily repentance. We forget who God is sometimes I think. HE'S GOD!! And yet we, these little pathetic humans who don't know what's going to happen tomorrow- think we can do a better job of dictating our life!? What is our problem? We need to wake up- and give over ALL of our life- including all our decisions, all of our hopes, all of our dreams, all of our family, all of our relationships... sounds exhausting? The great thing about it, is it's FREEING! Once we give over the reigns to the One who should have them, to the One who created us and to the One who wants the best for us- life is simpler! We no longer are heavy laden. We no longer pang ourselves with stress, because we trust that God is good all the time. We let things go and let God be Him. More blessings come- ones we would have never thought or imagined. He protects us from the sun striking us- He is our shelter. I'm not saying, at all, that this life is easy- because our flesh is challenged daily to take up the cross or build another throne for ourselves. But with obedience and by His grace, He fills us with a gratifying and satisfying fullness of Him that allows us to see that we shouldn't sit on a throne, but be before the throne of God. When challenges come our way, we know that God will do what He pleases, and yet we have complete peace it's for the best. Our King doesn't make mistakes and we can trust all that He does. We have complete joy in Him because He is who He says He is and that- my friend, is perfect.
~Leanne~