November 5 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

One of the remarkable things about the book of Revelation is the way it speaks about God. Hardly ever is he called "God." Nearly always God is described as "he who sits on the throne."

This phrase is a message in itself. It is not a new message, of course. In the old songbook of the church, the book of Psalms, God is constantly described as the One who rules and is enthroned. Two psalms begin nearly the same way, yet with an important difference. Psalm 97 begins, "The lord reigns; let the earth be glad." And the opening line of Psalm 99 is, "The lord reigns; let the nations tremble." The reasons for joy and for trembling are spelled out in the book of Revelation. But it begins with the open door and the throne itself.

God is sitting on this throne in heaven, a throne above the universe. Above the threat of wars, plagues and famine, the fear of people, and the crying of children, we see a throne. Wars do not rage unchecked and crying does not go unheard because there is One who sits upon the throne.

Today, thanks to the Internet and television, we are in a better position than ever before to get a global picture of the world situation. Often, though, the news is mostly depressing or silly or infuriating. And television newscasts are interrupted constantly by messages about dog food and soap. After a half hour of this mixture, some of us turn away, mumbling that the world is crazy.

Indeed, much of human activity that makes the news makes little sense. That's why so many thinking people become cynical—and so many others don't think.

But now a door is opened. Look! A throne, and One who is seated on the throne! The quiet background of our restless history is the everlasting throne of God.

REFLECTIONS

How might this vision of God enrich your everyday life?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.