Day 1
Scripture focus: The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
Revelation
1:1-3
Application: God is always revealing
Himself. Various places in scripture give us examples of how God has revealed
Himself through creation (nature), through speaking to His people, through His
angels, through visions and dreams. The visions and prophesies described in the
letter of Revelation are unique to the apostle John, but also support
previously recorded prophesy. They also have a great deal to tell us.
Since God is constantly
revealing Himself, even if not always in such dramatic ways as the visions and
prophesies given to the apostle John and other God worshippers in scripture, we
should always be looking for what He is saying. To lean our ear to His Word. To
soften our hearts to His love. To be still and quiet (a huge challenge in
today’s culture!) so we can hear His messages clearly.
John was
exiled to a prisoner island and used that time to worship and draw closer to
the Lord. We may sometimes wish we could escape to a deserted island to do so,
but that desire isn’t likely to be fulfilled. Instead, we can seek to create
islands in our everyday lives to get away with God. That island can be in our
car, a closet, a special chair, or even the bathroom. Most of us are familiar
with the story of Susanna Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley, who
created an island in the middle of raising 10 children (you may have heard the
number 19, but 9 died as infants) by covering her face with her apron to pray.
What a great example of making time with God of utmost importance!
As we seek to
spend that time with the Lord to hear from Him, He will bless us. As we live
out what He says to us, He will bless us. God’s blessings may sometimes be
financial or physical, but as we see from the life of His disciples, they are
more likely to be emotional, spiritual, and mental. God has promised us so many
blessings that we may easily overlook. This week, I pray you will experience a
new level of hearing God’s revelation, experiencing His presence, and basking
in His blessings.
Prayer: Holy Lord God Almighty, I
thank and praise You for Your revelation. Your faithfulness is great. Your Word
is true. Your blessings are abundant. Help me in the chaos of life to create an
island where I can spend intimate time with You. Keep calling me and drawing me
closer. Quiet the noise so I can hear You speak to me as your servant child.
Draw me to Your Word and Your heart. Soften my heart and clear out anything in
the way of my relationship with You. Holy, holy, holy, are You, Lord God
Almighty. You are, always have been, and always will be. And You love me. Pour
out Your grace, mercy, and forgiveness on me through Your Son Jesus. My heart
overflows with gratitude and praise to You. Let it always be so. Amen.
Reflection questions/prayer prompts:
What may God be calling me to give up in order to spend more time with Him?
Is there something in my heart blocking me from clearly hearing what God is saying to me?
What blessings am I not paying attention to that the Lord has already poured out on my life?
Under what circumstances could I read God’s Word aloud and/or bear witness to His word?
What is keeping me from keeping what is written in God’s Word?
Do I need to evaluate how much of God’s Word I’m listening to on a daily basis verses how much of the world I’m listening to (through radio, television, social media, etc.)?
How can I worship and praise God more?
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