Who Is On the Throne?
Every government and their leaders have power. Some simply like power and desire to control their domain or people. Some believe they are or have wisdom or answers and can be the provider of help for their people. While others really don’t care about their people except for what they can get from them. The truth though is that any attempt to be a solution and help for the people will fail if they make policies or take action apart from God.
Since the world began, nation has stood against nation, with an uncontrollable desire for power, supremacy, and dominance.
Think about it! Wasn’t that satan’s boast? 'I will be God! I will be worshipped! I will be greater! I will put myself in His place! I will control!"‘
Men have tried to rule by their own strength and wisdom since the fall of Adam and Eve, when Eve was beguiled and Adam chose disobedience.
In today’s world, there are many who have become deceived in their mind and have allowed either themselves or others to be exalted and take the place of their Creator and Sustainer.
Many today have ‘heroes’ they look to for answers. They have chosen their heroes from the medical field, the government, lawyers, the courts, or possibly celebrities who are in the limelight such as sports stars, actors, or actresses, or in other words, the rich and famous. Many also look to themselves or others to deliver them from their difficulties.
There seems to be an epidemic of either self-sufficiency or total dependence of people expecting and looking to others to meet their needs.
Sad to say, we even see this slipping from total dependency and trust upon God among some church leaders. I am convinced that many believers have also lost sight of the One Who is their Helper, Defender, Deliverer, Healer, and Friend. Instead, they have also put their hope and trust in the Pastor, the Doctor, the government, or themselves to deliver them from their troubles.
More times than I like to think about, I have seen people asking for prayer after they have exhausted every other possible source of help they can think of. We need a change in our thinking to where we direct our focus of hope and trust to the only source that is able to bring that change - God and His Word. (Qualifying statement…there is nothing wrong with going to a doctor. God uses them, however, those visits should be coupled with prayer. It is also good to seek the advice and knowledge of experts when you need it, however, seek God first to direct the steps you take.)
Our thinking comes from what we feed our minds. If you are looking to books written by liberal thinkers, or radio shows, TV, internet, or other sources provided by worldly men, you are looking in the wrong place.
We must put God back on the throne. We need to take those others we’ve come to depend on for our provision, justice, deliverance, and healing off the throne, including ourselves, our pastors, government, military, doctors, or any other source we put our trust and dependency in other than God.
Only God’s Word is the source of pure truth and wisdom. Proverbs 2:6, “For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
There is a Scripture that I keep in mind when satan’s forces attack or I hear of the turmoil in the world that I know will, if not immediately, will eventually affect me personally. That Word from God is Romans 8:31b which states, “If God be for us wo can be against us?” The assurance I have comes from knowing that God is for me!
Psalm 118:6 declares, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Then it is also good to remind ourselves of what we read in 1 John 4:4b (NASB20), “Greater is He that is in me than he who is in the world.”
Who is in us? If you are a believer, you have the Holy Spirit of God residing in you. 2 Corinthians 1:21 and 22 (CSB), “Now it is God who strengthens us together with you in Christ, and who has anointed us. 22 He has also put his seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.”
Psalm 119:160 (CSB), “The entirety of your word is truth, each of your righteous judgments endures forever.” If you want the assurance of God’s help, wisdom, and every other need met, then the reading and study of God’s Word is absolutely essential.
As we begin to change our thinking from dependency on ourselves or other people to complete dependency upon God, we need to consider Psalm 146:3-10, “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. 4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. 5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free; 8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. 9 The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. 10 The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations.” Praise the LORD! How awesome! The Lord sets us free, the Lord opens eyes, the Lord lifts us up, the Lord love us, the Lord watches over us and He upholds those who need it.
When we look in verse 3 at the word translated ‘princes’ from the Hebrew word nadib (naw-deeb), it literally means inclined, generous, noble. It then came to refer to a nobleman or prince (princely in rank). A prince represented the temporary nature of governments, foreign alliances and political policies. We are very plainly advised in this verse to not put our trust in governments not human beings. In verses 5 and 6 the Scripture reveals that God is the Creator of all.
As we read the following Scriptures, we will see that God is also the Sustainer of all creation. ‘Sustainer is the Greek word sumak which means: support, uphold, and carry. Colossians 1:17 (NLT), “He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.” Hebrews 1:3 (NLT), “The Son radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.” Then, we read in John 1:3 (NASB20), “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.
Here are some of the other scriptures which support the idea of putting our trust and assurance in God and not man. Psalm 60:11 and 12 (NLT), “Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless. 12 With God's help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes.” Psalm 118:8 and 9, “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.”
God is our source of help no matter how terrible or hopeless our situation becomes. We can trust Him to help.
There is no one more appropriate, fitting, or desirable to be on the throne of our heart.
Many natural disasters are happening all over the world. Look though at Psalm 46:1-3 (NIV), “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” God is our refuge (shelter) and strength. He is ever present to help when we experience these things.
We have been hearing of tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, dangerous heat, earthquakes, fires, and dangerous air quality because of the smoke. The Word of God reveals that these things will come and more. We need to look upon these things as warnings from God, as indicators that we are nearing the end of the age. We need to be prepared!
God’s desire is that all men would call upon the name of Jesus and be saved.
When we face these devastating, staggering events, we realize how small we are, and we recognize that God exists and that He is God! In every dire situation, God will help, minister, and deliver us. Isaiah 43:2 (NLT), “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”
So, how do we practically put God on the throne of our heart?
We let the Word of God, His will, be the guiding force of our life!
Instead of fear, we walk with our eyes of faith on Him, and experience His peace.
(I think of Nora Lam, who faced and was delivered from a firing squad when 10 months pregnant. There was Corrie Ten Boom, who testified of the love of God in a German concentration camp and was delivered from the furnaces days before she was to be sent there!).
Instead of hate, we love.
Instead of unforgiveness, we forgive.
Instead of seeking and satisfying our own desires, we seek first the Kingdom of God.
Instead of worshipping celebrities, we worship God.
Instead of anger, we follow peace.
Instead of following man (even self), we follow Him.
Proverbs 14:12b, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
Follow God! With Him on the throne, you will have life and life more abundantly!!
Praise God!
Unless otherwise noted all Scriptures are from the English Standard Version.
CSB Christian Standard Bible
NLT New Living Translation
NASB20 New American Standard Bible 2020