Friday, March 15, 2019
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There's nothing I appreciate more than a good night's sleep, because sleep is something I don't get a lot of. Deprivation creates value, you know. Frankly, if the bed is decent, I don't care too much about the surroundings. A night's sleep is a night's sleep and the whole time I'm asleep I don't know where I am anyway, right? So that's my philosophy of sleep. Aren't you impressed? Now, apparently, some nights' sleep are a big deal to some people, especially if it means sleeping in the historic Lincoln bedroom in the White House. You know, over the years, there's been a lot of discussion about major contributions to Presidential campaigns and those who have given a lot, being given the privilege to spend the night at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue; or as one senator called it, Motel 1600. I guess if any place to sleep is special, being in the White House, just down the hall from the President and the First Lady, that would be it. People come away from that experience, even rich and powerful people who have seen and done it all, really impressed by being in that historic, powerful place for just a night. I've never stayed at the White House, but wait until you hear where I just came from!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Resting in an Awesome Room."
Well, the friends of the President sleeping in the White House. That's nothing. The friends of Jesus have access to the Throne Room from which a hundred billion galaxies are governed! And they can rest there whenever they want, for as long as they want! I just came from there not long ago – the Throne Room of the living God. Actually, you know, I joined a brother and a sister just a few minutes ago. I've joined people 2,000 miles away by phone, and together we've gone into that awesome room to ask God to open some closed doors and move some large mountains. The access to this powerful place is, of course, called prayer.
Ephesians 3:12, our word for today from the Word of God: "In Christ Jesus and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." Because Jesus removed the sin-wall between us and God on the cross, we who belong to Him can walk right into God's Throne Room and talk to Him boldly about anything.
Paul goes on in this passage to express his awe at who he's with when he's praying. He says, "I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name." Because he focuses on the majesty of the God he's with, he dares to pray for God-sized things, culminating with this lid-blowing truth. "He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to His power that is at work in us."
People who have access to the White House know how special a privilege that is. Do you have that same feeling about prayer? When you pray, are you conscious of the awesome One you are with; the awesome place you are? It all begins in His Throne Room; it all runs right from there. So, when you come to God, come with amazement over this awe-inspiring God you're with. With expectancy that He'll do God-sized things, not man-sized. By the way, when's the last time you trusted Him for something so big only He could do it? Come with specifics, too. God's told you to come to Him with specific requests and needs.
Bottom line, prayer is focusing all the unlimited power of the living God on one specific person or situation right here on earth. With that kind of access to the central power of God, there is no excuse for that worry, those moods, that spiritual mediocrity, all that stress you're carrying. You can turn loose all the power and love of the Most High God on that stuff!
We don't have to give anything to have the privilege of finding rest in the awesome Throne Room of God. Jesus did all the giving. So, if you ever meet someone who's excited because they've stayed at the White House, you can say to them, "Well, you should hear where I've just been, because I can go to God's Throne Room anytime!"