Devotions

One of the great things about the Olympics is the closing ceremonies when all of the nations enter in together. Every Flag is brought in but all of the countries are enter as one large group. The athletes are in party mode and are hanging out with other athletes they have met all over the world. This is what I picture when I read Revelation 7. There is a great multitude and everybody nation and tribe is represented.

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭7:9

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;”

When we all get to heaven what a wonderful place it will be (I think that is a song from the 70’s). All of the believers from every nation and tribe over all of time will be there. They will be gathered standing before the throne declaring that Salvation is from the Lord. Give me chills just thinking about it. While we live different lives right now we will all be the same up there. There will be no more debates about worship style or doctrine, it will all be settled.

There is something special about doing something for the last time. When an employee retires after decades with a company or an athlete hangs up his competitive career, there is a sense of completion. As Jesus hung on the cross, he proclaimed, “It is Finished.” He knew the work of the cross was completed. You are the benefactor of that work.

‭‭John‬ ‭19:30

“Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

There is something so powerful about those words, “It is finished.” To me, it means more than completion. It also means completion. Everything that Jesus was given to do on earth had been completed. He has crossed the finished line, fought the good fight, and won! The incredible thing is that he wasn’t racing or fighting for Himself, but us. He conquered sin and reopened access to his Father at that moment. The perfect sacrifice was complete, and God’s wrath was appeased. Only the Son of God would do this for the world.

The cross makes you think of what Jesus went through to redeem the lost. He endured humiliation, suffering, and death so that our sins could be forgiven. It makes you think about some of the inconveniences we go through that we make a big deal over. As the crowds were yelling, “Crucify Him,” Jesus remained silent. An innocent man being convicted of a crime He didn’t commit.

‭‭John‬ ‭19:6

“So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.”

The crucifixion shows you how far man will go to have their way. The spiritual leaders were obsessed with eliminating Jesus to hold on to their power and influence. Jesus exposed their hearts by His ministry, and He had to be removed. Even Pilate, who was ungodly as they come, saw the innocence of Jesus and His opponents’ jealousy. Not much has changed today. Those opposed to Jesus want to eradicate any influence His followers have on society. They may not yell “crucify,” but they are still trying to cancel His church.

Sometimes it seems like the wicked of this world get away with everything while the righteous struggle. That may be true for a while, but eventually, the wicked person’s deeds are exposed. Don’t worry about what others are doing. Continue following Jesus and being obedient to His Word. He knows the way of the righteous.

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1:6‬

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

The most honored place in a Jewish village was to stand in judgment as one of the leaders at the city gate. It showed you had reached maturity and had shown integrity over your life. David says the ‘wicked’ man will not stand in that place or be in the congregation because they have been blown away like chaff. There was nothing of substance in the person, and their decisions took them away from any honor. It would shame the person as well as their family.

Are you one of those people who run your car till the last drop of gas is used? Is the low fuel light lit continuously on your dashboard? Did you know running your car that way does damage to your engine? All the dirt in gasoline that settles at the bottom of your tank gets sucked into the engine when you run it at low levels. The same can be said for Christians who live their lives without getting God’s Word into their hearts daily. Fill your tank each morning.

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1:2‬

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.”

The Psalms show us the way into the presence of the Lord. It could be said that Psalm 1 is the foundation that every other Psalm is built on. David lays out the keys to an upright life and what trips the righteous up. In this passage, he tells the reader that the upright delights in the law of the Lord. As a New Testament believer, you can switch the Law of the Lord for the Word of God. A believer finds great joy in thinking on the word throughout the day. Charles Spurgeon got the idea for his devotional “Morning and Evening” from this passage. The thought was that you started and ended the day with the Word of God.

The Bible uses the metaphor of walking throughout all of Scripture. One facet of walking with Jesus is walking upright. That means more than just posture. It also means doing the right thing and going in the right direction. Israel had wandered off of the path during Hosea’s time and gotten lost. Fortunately, God had brought them back, and now He is telling them to walk in righteousness lest they stumble again.

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭14:9

“Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them.”

As Hosea concludes his book, he offers some wise counsel on how Israel should proceed. It is straightforward advice. Walk in the ways of the Lord. Be obedient to His commandments and don’t live in sin. After all that Israel has been through, this is much-needed instruction. They have stumbled, and yet God is picking them up and giving them another chance. Hosea encourages them to heed his counsel and to obey
God’s Word.

Leaders of the world like to boast of the power of their military. They do this to present an image of strength and power. Sometimes that confidence can lead to a false sense of security. A bigger and more powerful army can come in and lay waste in a short time. When Jesus was going to the cross, he was questioned about His kingdom, and He replied, “Not of this World.”

‭‭John‬ ‭18:36‬

“Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

Jesus was being questioned by Pilate, “tell me about your kingdom?” Jesus proceeds to tell him that His kingdom is not of this world. By that, Jesus means that it is in heaven with His Father. He didn’t have any land to call His own or an army on earth to go to war. Everything He has is in another world. One day He will come and reign over this world for one thousand years, but until that time, it is not of this world. Pilate couldn’t understand that, and many today can’t either. They have a worldly view that doesn’t extend beyond our atmosphere. A follower of Jesus is heavenly-minded and looking for the return of their king.

Have you ever watched professional wrestling? When I was growing up, there was a wrestler named Andre the Giant. He towered over all of the other wrestlers, and he rarely lost. It was till the end of his career that Hulk Hogan body slammed him. Our God is much bigger than Andre the Giant, and nothing can stop Him.

‭‭Job‬ ‭42:2

“I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.”

Job had it rough, and Satan had poured all his resources into bringing him down, yet God knew that even though Job didn’t deserve it, there were things that Job needed to learn through the trials. It is easy to get comfortable when things are going right. We lose our edge and start to sit back and take what we have for granted. Job wasn’t at this point yet, but he still believed that his success was, in part, his own doing. Near the end of everything, Job recognizes that God can do whatever he wants and nothing can stop Him.

I can’t wait to get to heaven. It will be a glorious place where all the cares of the world disappear, and our hearts and minds will be focused on Jesus. We will spend a good deal of our time declaring His goodness and expressing our gratefulness for Him extending His grace to us. Revelation 5 tells us that we will declare, “Worthy is the Lamb.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭5:11-12

“Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

Revelation is a book where God gave a vision to the Apostle John while he was in captivity on the island of Patmos. Part of that vision is of the throne room of God. Here in verses 11-12 of chapter 5, John sees myriads of people and creatures. A myriad equals ten thousand. There were hundreds of thousands of people around the throne doing one thing, worshipping Jesus. They were all proclaiming, “Worthy is the Lamb.” It is going to be a glorious day when we are among those in the throne room.

There is a trail I ride that is called the hidden trail. It’s not really hidden, but there is a big dip at the start of it that scares off most riders. There were several times I looked at it and turned back. I didn’t want to get injured and be a burden to my family or miss time from work. Once I finally committed, it ended up being the most enjoyable trail on the mountain. People treat a relationship with Jesus the same way. They don’t want to commit at first, but once they do, they never regret it. Your destiny is determined.

‭‭John‬ ‭17:3‬

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

The seventeenth chapter of John is Jesus’ prayer for the disciples after the Last Supper. He starts off praying that they (and the church after them) know that eternal life is only found in God through His Son Jesus. Part of this was prophetic because ever since then, humans have been trying to enlarge the opening to heaven by saying that all roads there. Jesus also wanted the Disciples to be sure of their eternal destiny because of their assurance of salvation. They knew this, and this ensured their entrance through the pearly gates.