Woe! Woe! Woe!
Reading: Revelation 8
My Verse: "Then I [looked and I] saw a solitary eagle flying in midheaven, and as it flew I heard it crying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the rest of the trumpet blasts which the three angels are about to sound!" (8:13).
Revelation is a fascinating book. There is much in it that I do not understand, LORD God. But the one thing I do understand is how Your incredible wrath will be unleashed upon the earth when You return. You are a holy God. You cannot abide sin and the rejection of people to Your blessed Son, Jesus Christ. You cannot abide their rejection of His amazing sacrifice on the cross for us, the spilling of His blood, the anguish He suffered as He took on every sin ever committed or imagined by mankind. No, at the end of time Your Holy Wrath will spill forth and rebellious mankind can only cry in utter despair. For earth will be a dreadful place when Your wrath is poured forth upon it, as the eagle says, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth. . ."
This gives me such a sense of urgency. Oh, LORD God, so many I know do not know You. Have I done all that I can do to point them to You?
It is a hard thing to get people out of their complacency, out of their busyness, and their denial of spiritual needs. We are each of us sinful - no one wants to admit that. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6) We should all be crying out like Isaiah. "Woe is me! For I am undone and ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" (Isa. 6:5). Yes, when we see You, everyone will at that time be unable to deny You any longer. Each and everyone will see their sinfulness in its full and glaring reality and ugliness. " . . . so that at the name of Jesus every knew should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. . ." (Philippians 2:10).
You are returning. We do not know when but throughout the Holy Scriptures this is foretold. Your great wrath will be felt but You are a loving God. You continually appeal to man to turn to You.
"Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while his is near" (Isaiah 55:6).
"From that time Jesus began to preach, crying out. Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matthew 4:17).
"Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until] every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored. Rend your hearts and not your garments and return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness; and He revokes His sentence of evil[when His conditions are met]" (Joel 2:12,13).
No, You do not want to condemn man to an eternity of suffering. "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness" (Psalm 145:8). But it is up to man to turn to You. Yesterday's reading spoke of the multitudes that will turn to You and I am so thankful for that. Today we are reminded of the multitudes that will not. Oh, LORD God, I pray for wisdom and compassion and courage to be a witness for You in my daily life. I do not want those I know and love to be a witness to Your holy wrath.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Reading: Revelation 8
My Verse: "Then I [looked and I] saw a solitary eagle flying in midheaven, and as it flew I heard it crying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the rest of the trumpet blasts which the three angels are about to sound!" (8:13).
Revelation is a fascinating book. There is much in it that I do not understand, LORD God. But the one thing I do understand is how Your incredible wrath will be unleashed upon the earth when You return. You are a holy God. You cannot abide sin and the rejection of people to Your blessed Son, Jesus Christ. You cannot abide their rejection of His amazing sacrifice on the cross for us, the spilling of His blood, the anguish He suffered as He took on every sin ever committed or imagined by mankind. No, at the end of time Your Holy Wrath will spill forth and rebellious mankind can only cry in utter despair. For earth will be a dreadful place when Your wrath is poured forth upon it, as the eagle says, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth. . ."
This gives me such a sense of urgency. Oh, LORD God, so many I know do not know You. Have I done all that I can do to point them to You?
It is a hard thing to get people out of their complacency, out of their busyness, and their denial of spiritual needs. We are each of us sinful - no one wants to admit that. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6) We should all be crying out like Isaiah. "Woe is me! For I am undone and ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" (Isa. 6:5). Yes, when we see You, everyone will at that time be unable to deny You any longer. Each and everyone will see their sinfulness in its full and glaring reality and ugliness. " . . . so that at the name of Jesus every knew should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. . ." (Philippians 2:10).
You are returning. We do not know when but throughout the Holy Scriptures this is foretold. Your great wrath will be felt but You are a loving God. You continually appeal to man to turn to You.
"Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while his is near" (Isaiah 55:6).
"From that time Jesus began to preach, crying out. Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matthew 4:17).
"Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until] every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored. Rend your hearts and not your garments and return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness; and He revokes His sentence of evil[when His conditions are met]" (Joel 2:12,13).
No, You do not want to condemn man to an eternity of suffering. "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness" (Psalm 145:8). But it is up to man to turn to You. Yesterday's reading spoke of the multitudes that will turn to You and I am so thankful for that. Today we are reminded of the multitudes that will not. Oh, LORD God, I pray for wisdom and compassion and courage to be a witness for You in my daily life. I do not want those I know and love to be a witness to Your holy wrath.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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