Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy of Praise for Salvation (3/27/25)

My nephew, Michael, had a scary medical crisis this past weekend with very low glucose. As I was crying out to God for help, I recalled all His miracles in Michael’s life in the past. Also, we as a family had just reviewed some of our Revelation memory verses which helped me focus on Jesus’s attributes. He sees all, knows all, has all wisdom, has all power and saves us eternally!

We’re still on this side of Heaven, awaiting complete fulfillment of our salvation. However, the great multitude in Revelation 7 already finished their suffering on earth and perfectly praised God and Jesus for their eternal salvation.

Revelation 7:9-12    ⁹ After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

¹¹ All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,¹² saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

Have you ever heard or sung the praise song – Salvation Belongs to Our God? It has a catchy chorus “Be to our God, forever and ever, Amen.” (Several different Christian singers and groups have recordings of it.) Well, the words to this song (in bold above) come right out of Revelation 7!

The multitude in heaven, the angels, elders and four living creatures used these words to praise God right after He sealed His servants that were still living on earth (see last week’s devotional). So, the next time you and I hear or sing this song, let’s remember that as followers of Jesus Christ, we are also sealed for eternity. God has guaranteed our eternal salvation through Jesus the Lamb, no matter what happens to us in this life.

I love how these words of praise are focused on God and His work and not the singer. With their palm branches, they were celebrating victory - Jesus’s victory over sin. Their white robes represented the forgiveness, cleansing and righteousness Jesus gave. Their salvation and security rested on Jesus’s power and work and not their own. Worthy is Jesus!!!

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Seal His Children (3/20/25)

My kids have lots of questions about the symbolism in Revelation (and sometimes me too!). I can’t answer all their questions, but I can give them assurance that as children of God, they are on the winning team! Jesus promised that those who believe He is their Savior will live with Him forever in Heaven. His seal is our guarantee.

Ephesians 1:13-14   ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Are you a child of God? Have you believed and received His seal? If so, then we have nothing to fear in this life because we have a guarantee of a far better life to come!

The same is true for the servants of God referenced in Revelation 7.

Revelation 7:1-8      After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. ² Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: ³ “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” ⁴ Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

⁵ From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,

from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

⁶ from the tribe of Asher 12,000,

from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,

from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

⁷ from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,

from the tribe of Levi 12,000,

from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

⁸ from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,

from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,

from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

Some scholars think this number of 144,000 is symbolic while others think it is literal. Some think it is specific to Israelites who follow Christ in the last days and some think it represents the larger body of believers across the ages, the Church (including Gentiles). Revelation chapter 14 gives further details about this group of 144,000. Whether this number is literal or symbolic, it does signify completeness and God’s special care for His children.

Last week we saw how all kinds of people tried to hide from God to no avail. His final wrath and judgment will fall on all those that don’t belong to Him. However, God’s servants will be redeemed from the final judgment! God has a plan in place so that none of His children are lost.

II Corinthians 5:1 & 5         For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands… ⁵ Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Jesus is worthy to guarantee our security! Let’s praise Him for our permanent belonging!!!

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Open the 6th Seal (3/13/25)

Have you ever played Hide and Seek with small children? Often they hide in very visible and easy to find places! When our twins were about three I remember one time they sat next to each other and “hid” on the other side of our large living room chair. Since they couldn’t see me, they assumed I couldn’t see them!

Similarly, we can’t hide from God. Just because we can’t “see” Him doesn’t mean He can’t see us. He sees everything. At the end of time, when He releases His wrath, all kinds of people will try to hide from His wrath.

Revelation 6:12-17   ¹² I watched as he [the Lamb/Jesus] opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,¹³ and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. ¹⁶ They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷ For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”

No one can hide or escape from God. Death will not give relief to those experiencing God’s wrath. In fact, eternal death will be far worse. If those running and hiding from God would instead turn and run towards God, He would forgive them, even in the last moments of time.

When God’s judgment comes, will you be hiding in dread or resting secure in your relationship with God Almighty? Who do you and I know that even now seems to be trying to hide from God instead of running towards Him? What truths will you and I share with them?    

Jesus is worthy to open the 6^th seal and merciful to give people yet another opportunity to turn to Him rather than hide! 

Thurs Devo: Servant Seal

Last week we saw how all kinds of people tried to hide from God to no avail. His final wrath and judgment will fall on all those that don’t belong to Him. God’s servants will be redeemed from the final judgment, though. God has a plan in place so that none of His children are lost.

Rev 7:1-3      After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. ² Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: ³ “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” 

Are you a child of God? Are you a servant of God? Do you have His seal?

Ephesians 1:13-14    ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

For those of us with God’s seal, we have a guarantee of a far better life to come!

II Corinthians 5:1 & 5 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands… ⁵ Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Praise God for our seal, deposit and guarantee!!!

Alice

Thurs Devo: How Long for Justice?

We often want justice served quickly and completely for those who harm other people. Even the saints in Heaven plead for justice.

Revelation 6:9-11     ⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” ¹¹ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.

God is Just and will eventually avenge evil. He patiently and lovingly withholds immediate justice to give people additional opportunities to repent of their rebellion against Him and turn to follow Him.

II Peter 3:9    ⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Are you and I pleading for justice now? Or, are we waiting patiently for God’s final judgment day? Like the saints in Heaven, I think it is natural and acceptable to ask God “how long?”. As we await His justice, we can also focus on the grace and mercy He has already extended to you and me, and rest in the assurance that God will bring justice in His Sovereign time.

Alice