“Do not be afraid…” Revelation 1:17
I don’t know about you, but I can think of plenty of reasons to be afraid when I read the book of Revelation. If ever there was a book that takes you out of your comfort zone, this is it. On one hand, when God shows up in all His glory, we forget all our theology and join John face down on the earth, pale and trembling. On the other hand, we live in a world gone mad, a world populated with those who hate God, and, since they can’t take a swing at God personally, they do the next best thing (in their minds) and take it out on us. In between all of this, we have plagues falling left and right.
(I will probably get some emails informing me that the rapture will leave me high and dry, and maybe it will. I don’t know. I’m not as smart about those things as I used to be. But even if I’m whisked away, I fear for those left behind. I pray for them or us.)
Yet Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.” As we stand here on the threshold of eternity, those are His words to us.
The Bible says that God is shaking everything that can be shaken, so what cannot be shaken will remain (Hebrews 12:27). It seems that everything in us that can be shaken will be shaken also, and only what cannot be shaken will remain.
I was terrified of going to Junior High School. There’s a long story behind that, but I’ll shorten it up: The moment came; I boarded the bus; and I survived. I’m not sure what the door to eternity will look like for you and for me. But I know this: Jesus put His hand on John. And His hand will be on you and me. He will bring us through.
Dwight
PS. Sooner or later, it’s going to happen. A Christian leader you respect, trust, even depend on will disappoint you. How do you handle it when a Christian leader falls? That’s our topic 7/13/2019 in Inner Wealth.
