The events of the Tribulation will be so frightening that unbelievers will cry out to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!” But is it possible that it is also an outpouring of God’s grace?
Also, read about the hurtful power of words and how the truths of God are stumbling blocks to those who refuse to believe.
Welcome to “God’s Word Day by Day.” Why not make the coming year the best ever when it comes to your understanding and enjoyment of Scripture by signing up for the daily devotionals?
And now on to the Word …
Today’s Readings:
Hosea 13 & 14
Psalm 140.1-5
Proverbs 29.23
Revelation 1.1-20
God’s Grace in the Tribulation
Revelation 1.1-20:
The Time is Short
The more complete and accurate title for this book is contained in verse 1, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Jesus, “the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End” (verse 8) appeared to the aging apostle as he was in exile on the Isle of Patmos. The seven churches representing the church as a whole were about to come under intense persecution. John’s vision of future events was intended to serve as an encouragement to them during that difficult time.
Even though the book of Revelation contains images that are horrific, it is still a book filled with God’s grace!
The book describes the future events surrounding the tribulation and the second coming of Christ. The tribulation will be a seven-year period of time when God will complete His discipline of Israel and bring final judgment on the unbelieving world.
The Conquering King
At His first coming, Jesus came as a helpless baby. He lived and died as the Suffering Servant prophesied in Isaiah 53. At His second coming, He will come back as the conquering King along with the armies of heaven.
During the Tribulation, God will pour out His wrath in a last-ditch attempt to say “repent … the end is near”! So, those who repent and turn to Him, while they might suffer here on earth, will spend eternity with Him. But sadly, many will not repent and will spend eternity separated from Him and burning in a “fire that shall never be quenched” (Mk. 9.43). Though every mountain and island will be shaken and the sky itself will be rolled up like a scroll, some will still reject Him. Revelation 6.14-16:
14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! …’
The time is short. Let’s not get too busy or preoccupied to share the truth this Christmas season.
Today’s Other Readings:
Hosea 13 & 14:
A Stone of Stumbling
The book of Hosea ends with these words:
For the ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.
1 Peter 2.7-8 says:
Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.’ They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
In today’s world, you can talk about God as long as you leave it open-ended—“god as you understand him” some say. But when you talk about Jesus as “the Way and the only Way” (Jn. 14.6), you’ll be labeled narrow-minded and accused of trying to impose your religion on everyone else. He is “precious” to those who believe and a “rock of offense” to those who reject Him.
Psalm 140.1-5:
Sticks & Stones
They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; the poison of asps is under their lips (v. 3).
That childhood saying, “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never hurt you,” is a lie. Words hurt and can continue to hurt for a lifetime unless we nail them to the cross and allow them to stay there. We do that by meditating on God’s forgiveness toward us and, with God’s help, choosing to extend that forgiveness to those who hurt us. Then we must replace those hurtful words in our hearts and minds with God’s truth.
Proverbs 29.23:
Pride & Humility
A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.
God resists the proud, but gives His grace to the humble (Jas. 4.6) is Scripture’s constant refrain.
Coming Up
In the next few days, we’ll talk about grace, unfair treatment, being a Christian single, the responsibility involved in being a true friend, what to do when you’ve lost that loving feeling toward your spouse, and discuss the question, “Are you a lukewarm Christian?” I hope you’ll join us.
Get Ready for the Coming Year with a Plan for Your Bible Reading
The holidays are just around the corner and the new year will be on us before we know it. What will you do to make Bible reading an ongoing habit in the coming year? I want to encourage you to set a goal to read through the Bible again or for the first time. If you join me here, I’ll take you through a plan that covers both the Old and New Testaments in about 15 minutes a day. Sign up here for my daily email. It can serve as a gentle reminder to stay on track and I believe you’ll benefit from the additional background and application comments that I share.
Start today so you can begin the habit and it will be a regular part of your day come January.
You can also follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Just click on the social media icons. But nothing replaces having the daily devotion pop up in your inbox each day. It, usually (once in a while life gets in the way), goes out at 6 a.m. MST.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
1 Comment
Leave your reply.