Happy last Friday of the year! It's December 29, 2023, and this marks my final post for 2023. I'm excited about continuing our daily devotions in 2024! Let's stay committed. The portion of Revelation we're exploring is the most puzzling. However, one thing stands out, and that's what we'll focus on. Don't journal about things you don't yet understand; start with the ones you do! Here's one of them. Read on…
Today's Reading:
Revelation 10,11,12,13,14
Scripture
“This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus” (Revelation 14:12)
Observation
This verse was reiterated in Rev. 13:10 – “This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.”
As God’s people, we are often impatient, and our faithfulness decreases as our “wants” increase. Our commitment stamina is short-lived. We’re like sprinters when God is calling for marathon runners.
- We want it NOW!
- We want answers NOW.
- Fix it NOW.
We are part of the instant generation that believes life should be like advanced computers with a higher processor speed and lots of RAM. But life and relationships aren’t like that. A favored life takes time. So does wisdom. So does peace. So does growth.
Application
Someone once said that it takes fifteen years of hard work to be an "overnight success." Well said. However, we've been conditioned to desire instant gratification. That impatience is the cause of many ills afflicting us today: immorality, greed, wars, deception, and corruption.
These last days call for patient endurance, and this is specifically addressed to God’s people! It seems like we can be the main culprits of this malady. Christians often seek to use God to get things "now," and when He doesn’t comply, we tend to do it our way. We circumvent His precepts and justify our own. Serving God calls for patient endurance on the part of His people.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, in this new year, please help us to be more intentional in our walk with You. Help me to consider You in every decision, every action, and every plan. Remind me, as John Wesley said, to value all things only by the price they will have in eternity. In this new year, increase my investment in that which will last forever.
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