Revelation 7:9-17
After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’
And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, singing,
‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honour
and power and might
be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.’
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ‘Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?’ I said to him, ‘Sir, you are the one that knows.’ Then he said to me, ‘These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat;
for the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’
Reflection
They came through! They came through and believed in Jesus! They came through and now know that salvation belongs to God in Jesus in the blood that God in Jesus shed upon that cross so many years ago from today. They have faith and believe in what God has done. They wash the robes in the blood of Christ in full trust for what Jesus has done upon the cross. They have seen and lay all of their hope, yes all of their lives upon the resurrection of Jesus. Yes... the they... are you and I and all who believe in the saving grace of Jesus.
And how do we react? We focus on Jesus. We look to the one seated on the throne of God and sing praise and shout glory and honor to Jesus our Savior and our God. We can do this now in the presence of all the host of heaven. We can do this now with those who have gone before us and those who have yet to come who will believe and trust in the salvation of God through Jesus. We can do this right now... here and now!
And Jesus will guide us to springs of the water of life. Yes, we too, can offer to one another this water from the well that never stops flowing. We too can have compassion on the poor, the homeless. the prisoners, the addicted, the ill, the dying, the very people that we live with in this world and offer the hope and joy and honor to give all praise and glory to Jesus; our God of salvation even in the midst of each of our great ordeals.
So, let us believe and have faith and trust in what God has done for us through Jesus. Let us put on those robes washed clean in the blood of the Lamb that have turned bright white and sing praises to God. Let us look to the center of the throne and worship Jesus. What more could we do? How else could we respond? What joy we have... even now!
Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2Yxf0FC12E&list=PLEJ0A7q4EWCDioTRok1ZtMXIo_TbT76bW
Prayer
Lord, many have gone before me and suffered dearly in your name. Take my life and use it to bring glory to your name. In the midst of pain and suffering may I still look to that day when I will sing praise to you. For salvation belongs to you and you alone. I believe and turn to you, for and with, my life. I look for that water that never stops flowing that washes me in your love and salvation. Use me this day to sing your praises and bring glory to you with those you give to me... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment