Scripture: Revelation 11:16
And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshipped God, saying:
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was,
Because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.
Observation: Amid all the destruction, those elders will have their hearts and minds focused on the intense power of the Lord, our God… And they will express their gratefulness for his strength and glory and new reign.
Application: I wonder what it will be like when we see the acts described in Revelation occur. They sound pretty scary reading them. I certainly wouldn’t want to be around on the earth! But the good news is that through all that yuckiness comes triumph.
(I don’t want to spoil it for you if you haven’t already read it all. Wait, yes I do! I want you to know that the Lord ultimately wins and overcomes all evil, sending it way far away from his followers. And the only way to be on the winning team is to jump on now.)
That being said, I still wonder what it will be like. The whole process sounds terribly frightening. Yet here are these elders who know what is coming. And they must be filled with reverence and excitement. They know the Lord’s complete reign is coming soon.
I want to have that kind of peace through destruction and devastation. I need to remember that through all the hurt and pain He ultimately overcomes. He is more powerful than anyone or anything. And complete joy in Him will be mine eternally, thanks to his son, Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Lord, I am not sure if this is where you wanted me to go with this or not. All these Ezekiel and Revelation readings have been a challenge for me to journal. But thank you for speaking to me, and for sharing with me. And for overcoming all evil when the time is right. And thank you for inviting me to be with you, and allowing me to hear and respond to that invitation. Please guide me in keeping your joy in my heart through pain and frustration: I want to cling to you through the mild irritations and big destructive ones, too. How else could I make it through? I want you to be what sees me though it all.
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