Friday, November 17: Revelation 17- God's words will be fulfilled .

Through my window I watch the small wildlife in my yard scurry around. Chipmunks galore rarely rest. They scurry here and there, looking under leaves for morsels to eat or stash away as fall moves along and winter looms.

I felt a little like a chipmunk looking here and there in this chapter, turning phrases over in my head as I look for God’s morsel today.

I am not good at deciphering fantasy language so beasts and the like are a struggle for me. So devotionally I looked for kernels of truth to cling to. And God provides…

Verse 1: “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters… The Lord God is in control. I may not understand everything and how it all works out, but the Lord does. This is what matters to me. The God I love, honor and serve is in control and John is given a glimpse of God’s just retribution on His enemy.

Verse 6: I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus… Following Jesus is not necessarily an easy road. Many will pay dearly for their faith in Jesus. This causes me to ‘buck up’ to be ready and prepared for persecution, which could come. I haven’t faced anything of this sort but I could and I need to be prepared… to continually bear testimony to Jesus through the way I live.

Verse 8b: The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished… A book of life with names written or not written from the creation of the world.  The theological word ‘predestination’ comes to mind. Predestination is a concept I do not fully understand, but it lives in the pages of Scripture. The words of the Prophet Isaiah come to mind: As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). I don’t understand why some have their names written in the book of life from eternity and others don’t. But putting my trust in the Lord’s will rather than my own gives me comfort, because He is just and I am sin-filled and frail. I can rest in the will of my God, even though I do not fully understand.

Verse 17: For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled. I am back where I started. God is in control. God is even able to have His enemy do His bidding and in the end God’s Words will be fulfilled. I have staked my eternity on this!

Have you? Think about it…

Oh, Lord, You met me today in Your Word. You fed me with truth and beauty. Your Spirit encouraged me and provided for me yet again. I am blessed. I am humbled. I am Yours. Through Jesus, I pray. Amen.

 

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