Praise rises in hope, “Before the Throne of God Above”

I begin to flail if I dwell in the quicksand of swirling stress as I suffer. I can hardly breathe if I get sucked down into fear of what could happen in this fallen world. If I continually replay my losses and agonies in my thoughts, I’m mired in depths that doubt God’s goodness and love. How about you, sister in Christ?

In this temptation of our enemy as I suffer, I desperately need to look to what is real, peering through the thin curtain between earth and our heavenly reality.

I need to see God’s throne. 

When the accuser tempts me in my thoughts, I need to praise my King, who endured earthly temptation without sin and suffered the punishment I deserve for my sin, so that I could live with Him now and forever. I need to see Jesus’ holy white robe of righteousness, now draped on my shoulders, by His gift of love. I need to come to the throne and praise Him for the truth of the gospel. 

My dark depths then begin to rise to His throne of mercy and grace as God literally changes my thoughts and emotions, even as earthly suffering continues.

Interrupting our suffering, will you join me as we praise our reigning King on His throne?

Our holy God is seated on His throne!

I saw the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple (Is. 6:1 ESV).

God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne (Ps. 47:8 CSB).

You, LORD, are enthroned forever; your throne endures from generation to generation (Lam. 5:19 CSB).

But of the Son he says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom” (Heb. 1:8 ESV).

Before the throne of God above,
I have a strong and perfect plea,
a great High Priest whose name is Love,
who ever lives and pleads for me.

(“Before the Throne of God Above,” Bancroft, C. L., p.d.)

At the cross, Jesus disarmed our accuser in victory! Our praise rises in hope!

Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out (Jn. 12:31 ESV, emphasis added).

He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him (Col. 2:15 CSB).

Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God (Rev. 12:10 ESV, emphasis added).

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name (Heb. 2:8-9 ESV, emphasis added). 

The alive Jesus, the exalted and reigning King, my Lord, my Savior, my Shepherd, the Lamb of God…is guiding me to the throne of God

My name is graven on his hands,
my name is written on his heart.
I know that while in heaven he stands,
no tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
and tells me of the guilt within,
upward I look and see him there,
who made an end to all my sin.

Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame…

Because the sinless Savior died,

my sinful soul is counted free;

For God, the just, is satisfied

to look on him and pardon me.

and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:2 ESV).

Behold him there, the risen Lamb,
my perfect, spotless righteousness,
the great unchangeable I AM,
the King of glory and of grace!

One glorious last day, Jesus will consummate His kingdom, and we will rise before the throne of God above!

Jesus said, ”From now on

you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power

and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Mt. 26:64 ESV).

One with himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by his blood!
My life is hid with Christ on high,
with Christ, my Savior and my God!

Material adapted from Singing the Gospel to Job: Finding Hope in Suffering, Lauri A. Hogle, © 2022

Praising the risen Christ at His throne into my earthly suffering

Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need (Heb. 4:16 CSB).

I need to sing Christ’s hope into my suffering. As I pour out my pain to Him, I need to praise Him for what is the true reality, just beyond the thin curtain. He gives me true hope as I do.

This is warfare against our enemy accuser Satan, who tempts me to despair and doubt what our loving Father has done for me in Jesus Christ. Who tempts me to joyless hopelessness when suffering lingers.

Oh no…I can have hope in eternal things unseen, just beyond that curtain. I can rejoice in suffering, by His perfecting power and sufficient grace. I can endure as Jesus did, because OF Jesus and what He has done and is doing in me right now.

And will do:

Will you join me in asking Him to pull us out of the mired depths? Praising Him for what is actually true according to His Word is His gift to me as I suffer with serious illness right now! All hail King Jesus!

I’ve been using a playlist I created to come to His throne in praise for this very reason, looking to Jesus. If this (or any of the other resources) would bless you too, come and join me!