Heaven’s Refrigerator Door

They cast their crowns before the throne… Revelation 4:10

In his apocalyptic vision John was given a magnificent view of God’s heavenly throne room. Surrounding the throne was an array of celestial beings so wonderful as to defy description: crowned elders on thrones of their own, mysterious creatures with multiple wings and eyes, and seven lamp stands representing the very fullness of the Spirit of God.

From the center of the throne came flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, and the One sitting there had the appearance of precious stones encircled by a rainbow. Day and night the assembly cried out, “Holy, holy, holy!” and joined in chorus giving glory to God.

Given this picture of eternal adoration, it is not hard to imagine that God is unimpressed by the quality of our earthly worship. God lives in eternity, in the beauty of utter holiness, and in perfect relational communion of the Trinity. God does not need our ceremony, or liturgy, or music. Yet, amazingly, God wants it. The hymn writer has rightly said, “Praise is God’s gracious choice.”

On the walls of our homes are often tacked and taped our children’s most recent creations of crayon, scissors, construction paper, glitter, and glue. Great artwork? Manifestly not. The delight of our hearts? Doubtless!

Even our best efforts at worship may be like our own sons and daughters bringing rudimentary artistic expressions to us for approval and display. As we often are less impressed by the work itself than by their desire to share themselves with us as a gift, so our worship may be, to God, like children’s drawings on the walls of heaven: the delight of our Father and, in his eyes, the promise of things to come.

Michael Denham