Revelations 22:12-21

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Read Revelations 22:12-21 Verses for meditation: Revelations 22:12-13, 16, 20-21 ESV: 12 "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. Reflect How does it feel to be reading the very last few verses of the bible? What do the proclamations, the last few of them, say about Christ? Come, Lord Jesus! Does this really express our desire? How does the greatest book end, and on what note? But is this really the end? Relate With mixed feelings, I'm writing this last devotion based on the final ten verses of the greatest book, the bible. What a journe...
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Exodus 40 / Psalm 54 "Sensitivity to God's Leading"

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READ: Exodus 40 / Psalm 54


Verse chosen for meditation: Exodus 40:36-38

36 Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.


REFLECT

The book of Exodus ends with great hope. Though stranded in the dessert and surrounded by enemies, the Israelites had faith and confidence, as God was with them. Previously, they asked, “Is the Lord with us or not?” Here, there is no doubt, as God’s visible show of glory guided them every step of the way. It is comforting to know that our God is a promise keeper, answering Moses’ requests, to show His glory and be with His people (Exodus 33:14-18), even though they had let Him down.


This picture of God filling the tabernacle is a foreshadowing of the story we now find ourselves a part of, which is the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. The tabernacle was the place where the people went to meet God. Today, we no longer gain access to God only by going to the temple. As Paul tells the Corinth church, “do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19).


RELATE

Can you imagine God physically leading us in our next steps with such visibility (cloud on the tabernacle by day, fire in it by night)? How wonderful is that? We would know exactly when to move and stop. Can we be led by the Holy Spirit with the same clarity? How many of us struggle to listen to the Spirit, or even identify if our actions are led by the spirit or by our own will?


A friend asked me this before: “Do you hear the Spirit speak?” I nearly gave a textbook answer on how God may speak to us in various ways. But something prompted me that standard answers just do not cut it sometimes, especially for my friend struggling to experience God for many years. So I answered: “I’ve never actually heard Him. At least not in an audible voice you are probably thinking of.” He was surprised, thinking that I hear voices from the Spirit all the time because I’ve been a Christian longer than him. The conversation eventually surfaced a misconception: He thought he may not have the Holy Spirit because he lacked faith or was not praying hard enough. This is something the devil would love for us to think.


The assurance then can be found in Ephesians 1:13-14, where we are promised the Holy Spirit from the moment we believe in Christ. Scripture did not say we would get the Holy Spirit if we were more holy or prayed the right prayers. We can, however, learn to be more sensitive to the spirit. I heard a wise man say before that though the Spirit resides in us, it can’t work in a vacuum. For instance, one of the ways the Spirit guides us is to bring to our memory what the Bible teaches. It’s hard for the Spirit to do that if we don’t even read the Bible. I’m known for not remembering verses. I would fail any bible memory quiz, yet I have experienced for myself how verses I have long forgotten and teachings from the Bible just spring to me and saved me from making impulsive decisions in certain situations. This only happens after I started seriously walking with God and internalising lessons from the Bible.


Do I always feel the Holy Spirit at work today? Not really. However, over the years, the practice of spending time to identify blessings from God daily and reflecting on how others and myself have grown in unexpected ways, I’ve become more attuned to the supernatural work of God even in the natural course of everyday life. I then find great hope in the ending verses of Exodus, knowing that God is with me throughout all my journeys.


REST

Thank you, Lord, for this gift of the Spirit. For those of us who are yearning to experience your presence in our lives, may you help us to be more sensitive to your hand in our lives, and reveal yourself to us, like how you revealed your glory to the Israelites. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.


Chris Chong

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