The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Revelation 13:5-7,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them."
This beast was empowered by Satan who also gave him "great authority", verse 2. With this power and authority, he waged war against "God's holy people" and conquered them!
Why was this beast allowed to do such a thing? How was it he was able to conquer God's very own people? God has ultimate authority throughout all the cosmos. He has tremendous power beyond our ability to grasp, and certainly well beyond what "the dragon" and his beast and all his minions might have! So, how is it possible this beast was able to conquer God's people? Doesn't God love his own people? Why would he allow such a thing?
The answer is yes, God does love his people. He has a big heart and a big love for his people. We read of it throughout the Scriptures as God reveals himself. Where we get off track is our assumption that God's highest priority is our highest priority. Most people naturally feel their life in this age is their highest priority, and, hence, should be God's.
What we may fail to see is that as we read of God's grand program of the redemption of mankind and his judgment of all who oppose him, there may be bigger things afoot than each one of our lives. In the grand scheme of things, as they say, we might find ourselves expendable to God's purposes as he carries out what he is doing in this lost and fallen world energized by Satan and his ilk.
This is where passages such as Romans 8:36 (Paul's quote of Psalm 44:22) find their expression in our lives, "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
Certainly God loves us and although I may not understand why I am or a loved one is expendable to him, it is important that I abide in that posture should God so deem I am to be used by his purposes in such a circumstance. He does care for us and nothing will happen to us that doesn't cross his desk. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants." Psalm 116:15.
After all, he gave his Son's life for me, that I might share in his inheritance in eternal life, and whatever sacrifice he may make of me, he will certainly reward me a thousand times over whatever that sacrifice might be.
This beast was empowered by Satan who also gave him "great authority", verse 2. With this power and authority, he waged war against "God's holy people" and conquered them!
Why was this beast allowed to do such a thing? How was it he was able to conquer God's very own people? God has ultimate authority throughout all the cosmos. He has tremendous power beyond our ability to grasp, and certainly well beyond what "the dragon" and his beast and all his minions might have! So, how is it possible this beast was able to conquer God's people? Doesn't God love his own people? Why would he allow such a thing?
The answer is yes, God does love his people. He has a big heart and a big love for his people. We read of it throughout the Scriptures as God reveals himself. Where we get off track is our assumption that God's highest priority is our highest priority. Most people naturally feel their life in this age is their highest priority, and, hence, should be God's.
What we may fail to see is that as we read of God's grand program of the redemption of mankind and his judgment of all who oppose him, there may be bigger things afoot than each one of our lives. In the grand scheme of things, as they say, we might find ourselves expendable to God's purposes as he carries out what he is doing in this lost and fallen world energized by Satan and his ilk.
This is where passages such as Romans 8:36 (Paul's quote of Psalm 44:22) find their expression in our lives, "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
Certainly God loves us and although I may not understand why I am or a loved one is expendable to him, it is important that I abide in that posture should God so deem I am to be used by his purposes in such a circumstance. He does care for us and nothing will happen to us that doesn't cross his desk. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants." Psalm 116:15.
After all, he gave his Son's life for me, that I might share in his inheritance in eternal life, and whatever sacrifice he may make of me, he will certainly reward me a thousand times over whatever that sacrifice might be.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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