On Saturday the idea of martyrdom dominated my devotions. Martyrdom again rises today. Verses 9-10, 13-14 places this issue on the table again.
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb”…
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
No one knows then this ‘great tribulation’ will happen. And I suspect people living through some of the large scale persecutions of Christians the world has witnessed may have thought, “This must be it.” But since Christ’s return hasn’t occurred, we know the great tribulation has not yet happened... but lesser tribulations can be horrible for those living through them.
Believers anticipating the church creating some utopia on earth miss the fact that a great tribulation is looming. Maybe in a decade, maybe in a century, maybe in a millennia, but at some time before the end there will be massive persecution.
Will I witness and live through it? Only God knows. The question remains, “Is my faith strong enough to survive?” I cannot control the time and the place evil will erupt, but I can own my faith and hone my faith to be as strong as possible. I can put my shoulder to the plow and not look back (see Luke 9:62). I can press on, study, pray, read, and serve so that my faith muscles grow strong. I can worship and surrender my will to God’s so that my heart grows strong. I can keep my eyes and ears open to the leading of the Lord so that I know His voice and can follow Jesus no matter what comes.
Jesus stayed strong facing and on the cross; keeping faith in Him I can weather whatever trials come my way. But only if I remain in Him (John 15).
I don’t know what the future will bring for me, but I do know that faith in Jesus will see me through no matter what.
The saints in white robes made it, thanks be to Jesus. And I will, too.
Praise be to You –Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Salvation belongs to You. I will hold onto You with all I have, trusting that when my grip on You fails, Your grip on me will never fail. Amen and Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment