- Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed! Revelation 16:15 – While this message may not have been directed at us within this passage, it’s one we can listen to and follow. What we see here in this chapter is plague after plague coming on the people of earth. God is pouring out His wrath on their sin yet still offering a chance to any to repent. While we aren’t living in the sort of days playing out in scripture yet, the key word is yet. We don’t know when Jesus will return. Let us then stay awake like this passage teaches us to. Remain clothed, meaning remain ready for whatever may come your way. Ready for any and every opportunity that may come our way to share Jesus with someone so they won’t have to move through all that we see written about in these chapters if Jesus were to return soon. If then one of these opportunities walked through your door right now, how ready would you be to share? Wake up, get some clothes on, and be ready to share. Jesus is coming back and we should want the world to come with us to meet Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1584
- They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory. 10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish 11 and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds. Revelation 16:9-11 – In this chapter we see the rapid-fire judgements of the seven bowls being poured out. Once completed, we hear a voice declaring “It is done!” but the terror that comes from these seven bowls is unlike anything we’ve read In Revelation so far. Painful sores, all sea life being destroyed, all fresh water gone, scorching heat, plunged into darkness, and 100-pound hailstones falling from the sky. Truly devastation like never before, and with such devastation we may think it would turn people to the Lord for they would finally acknowledge He has the power, and not Satan (who they were worshipping). Yet, like we see in our passage above, rather than turn to the Lord, the cursed Him and refused to repent. Sometimes we can think that if people just saw the real power of God, then they’d turn from their sin. What we learn from scripture though is just because there may be great displays of power from the Lord, or even if they saw someone raise from the dead, it doesn’t mean people will repent and believe. Fear isn’t what is going to lead to true repentance, only an understanding of God’s grace. When sin is seen as sin, and an understanding that our efforts can’t rescue us from the death sin brings, there is where we begin to see our desperate need of a Savior. Whoever then is in your life stubbornly refusing Jesus, pray their heart will understand the truth. We see what’s ahead for those who refuse Jesus, let us then all the more be praying for their heart to change towards the Lord. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2800
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