November 3rd - Reflection

Revelation 8:6-9:12 (NRSV)
The trumpet of God's judgment
Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets made ready to blow them.

The first angel blew his trumpet, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were hurled to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many died from the water, because it was made bitter.
The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light was darkened; a third of the day was kept from shining, and likewise the night.
Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew in midheaven, "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!"

And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit; he opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given authority like the authority of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to damage the grass of the earth or any green growth or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torture them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torture was like the torture of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.
In appearance the locusts were like horses equipped for battle. On their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, their hair like women's hair, and their teeth like lions' teeth; they had scales like iron breastplates, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. They have tails like scorpions, with stingers, and in their tails is their power to harm people for five months. They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.
The first woe has passed. There are still two woes to come.

Reflection
A vision of some horrible things happening to people who do not believe. But also a vision that isn't so far fetched from the Egyptian plagues. The first four trumpets blasts bring about these plague like warnings. Then the fifth trumpet brings the demon locust.

God is so loving that he goes to extremes in trying to convince all peoples to believe in him and to permit all of us to worship and honor only him. God wants us badly. God wants our love.

The proof is in this world and the beauty of all that God has created. The proof is in the body, blood, life, ministry, teaching, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus for all our sin. The proof is in the gifts freely given by the Holy Spirit to enlighten us to the love of God through Christ Jesus and the action of the Holy Spirit in the lives of all saints.

God has lovingly proved good. But we have a response to make. We can run from the horrors of the plague and believe in God or we can continue to believe that we can save ourselves and try to defeat these demonic looking plagues. If we run to God we will see life as it is to be. If we attempt to endure we will be swallowed up in the very evil we are trying to defeat on our own without God.

There is a choice here. I choose God. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, you have shown endless love and mercy. I treasure all the grace you have shown me through life. But most of all I have fallen in love with you... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen