Erly Kerly
How this simple drawing brought me to tears…
🎶You are my freedom - You are the reason…I kneel at Your throne once again. 🎶
🎶Where would I be without You…here in my life? 🎶
The words of this song were playing as I pulled out a picture given to me by my daughter last night…
To set the scene: for Jesus time this morning we imagined the depiction of Heaven in Revelation 4: thinking about each line - what is actually described.
Amazing, powerful and glorious beings that surround God’s throne. Lightning, Thunder, pillars of fire, the glow of Emeralds, a glass sea, Elders / Kings bowing and strange but powerful creatures worshipping.
Then we read a couple of other verses where people like Micaiah and David looked forward and saw similar things (but described them in far less detail) thousands of years before John.
The beings, the power, the presence, the amazing things around the throne are nothing compared to the One seated on it…
We talked about how God is AMAZING! And how by the blood of Jesus, He grants us the ability to go right up to the throne - right up to the One seated on the throne and say ‘daddy’!!
We prayed as per normal, had breakfast and started the chores and work for the day. An hour later I am working in the office and trying to tidy my desk. I have worship music playing and some visitors we haven’t seen in like 10 years are due to arrive any minute.
I think of the pictures that some of my children have drawn me that I have just brought to my office and think about trying to put them somewhere where I can see them. As I unroll this picture, it grabs me as the words of the song that is playing and of the message on the drawing penetrate.
🎶You are my freedom - You are the reason…I kneel at Your throne once again. 🎶
🎶Where would I be without You…here in my life? 🎶
Where would I be without Him in my life? Dead. Addicted. Bitter. Empty. Definitely NOT married with 6 children!
The picture has a depiction of me ‘Erly’ in life. Rough hair, smoking a pipe, tightly clutching money, marijuana leaves floating around and the biggest insight - a crossed out heart.
Then there is a drawing of me ‘Later’ with a big heart and 7 little hearts surrounding me. Right now, this morning, the reality of this has moved me. While I often see my failures and how far I have to go, right now I have tears of thanks as I think where I would be without Him. Of how far He has brought me.
To think, the One who is ‘far above’ and ‘far more awesome than all who surround His throne’ accepts me despite all my faults and failures!
Arms out stretched, tears running down my face I am singing along with the song “You are my freedom - you are the reason!
And as I worship, I hear the children running - “they’re here, they’re here” - and our visitors are here. Time to wipe the tears away and continue the day.
The deadlines, the stress, the problems, the finances - none of it matter. This is life!
Conclusion: God is incredible - nothing compares to Him…and He changes us!
PRAYER: Lord, may we continually see ourselves as You see us - and may we also look to You, come to You on the throne calling out daddy, daddy - receiving Your grace, love and truth.
NOTES: I
then Micaiah continued, “Listen to what the Lord says! I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left.
1 Kings 22:19 (NLT)
Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God. In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal.
In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—
the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”
Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say,
“You are worthy, O Lord our God,
to receive glory and honor and power.
For you created all things,
and they exist because you created what you pleased.”
Revelation 4 (NLT)
The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God.
He is far more awesome than all who surround his throne.
O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies!
Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord?
You are entirely faithful.
Psalms 89:7-8 (NLT)
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)
we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
Hebrews 10:19-23 (NLT)