I often pray for wisdom, whether it’s for efficiency at work, parenting decisions, writing devotionals, or daily activities. Yesterday, we received a clear answer to NOT do what we were planning to do – going bowling before dinner and a church event. When we arrived, there weren’t any available family lanes. So, we went home with a little more time for dinner. In God’s better plan, Edmund then spontaneously met some grandkids of a neighbor and enjoyed playing basketball with them.
Last week’s passage ended with a call for patient endurance
and faithfulness. This week’s passage ends with a call for wisdom. We need
perseverance and faithfulness to face Satan’s war against God’s people and his
deception through the beast. We also need wisdom to see through the
manipulation of the second beast. Notably, Satan (the Dragon), the first beast,
and the second beast seem to imitate God the Father, God the Son, and God the
Holy Spirit, as seen in the rest of Revelation chapter 13.
Revelation 13:11-18 11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a
lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on
its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had
been healed. 13 And it
performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full
view of the people.14 Because of the signs it was given power to
perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the
earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was
wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of
the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to
worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and
slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the
beast or the number of its name.
18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has
insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.
So, where do we get this
wisdom? Perfect wisdom comes straight from God Himself! Reading His Word,
talking with Him in prayer, and listening for His answers will help us gain
wisdom.
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who
gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Knowing God’s prophecy, like
this passage in Revelation, will help us be prepared when these events happen.
We will then be able to wisely discern the deception of Satan and remain
faithful to God.
