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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Catch-up Day / Proverbs 21 “The Deceptiveness of Our Hearts”

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READ: Catch-up Day / Proverbs 21


Verse chosen for meditation: Proverbs 21:2-4

2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,

    but the Lord weighs the heart.

3 To do righteousness and justice

    is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,

    the lamp of the wicked, are sin.


REFLECT

Proverbs may look like a mish mash of clever sayings, and it’s easy to skim through them, but one should meditate more on them to get the deeper messages. The proverbs address facets of life still prevalent today: Making a living, handling money, managing relationships, responding to poverty, struggles with sexuality, coping with difficulties and facing death, etc. It helps us understand what wisdom looks like and work out how to live appropriately in the normalcy of daily living.


Each proverb should cause us to look deeply into our actions and values, contrast them with the light of God, and address that gap. I found it useful to approach each proverb like a mirror to my behaviour, asking: Am I like this? Is my behaviour characteristic of the fool or the wise? Is there a better way to live?


For today’s meditation verses, we see God’s knowledge of our innermost thoughts. The key is on being, not doing. We can do many pious acts, but God knows if we do them in arrogance or humility, whether our acts are motivated by worship or other selfish desires. This motivation makes all the difference, and we can easily go from worshipping God to worshipping ourselves.  


Sometimes, the image of a lamp is used to symbolise what guides a person. In v4, the choices of the wicked are guided by their sinful desires, and their haughty eyes (arrogant, air of superiority) and prideful heart make them deny that their ways are wicked and foolish. The opposite of this verse is one with humble eyes and a contrite heart, with his/her lamp being submission to God.  


RELATE

It is good to discuss about our hearts, because of how deceptive it is (Jeremiah 17:9), thus the need for higher alert. I believe many of us start our acts of service wanting to worship God. I have seen many who begin their work with the purest of intents, but also seen how those motivations behind the very same acts degraded over time. It happens to me occasionally. It can start from wanting to meet a genuine need, but ended up doing it to get affirmation from stakeholders. I may not realise it if I don’t regularly invite God to search my heart and reveal to me any waywardness. It is very common that we deceive ourselves that we are doing right, but God weighs our heart.


Also related, v3 is not saying that our sacrifices are not important. They are, but people can do them for all sorts of reasons (motivations again). Some do it hoping to win favour from God, to get blessings. Some do it to conceal their sins or guilt. Some busy themselves in acts of service to “make up” for an inadequate part of their walk with God. These are not sacrifices pleasing to God. Even with the pleasing ones, God is still more concerned with our overall day-to-day conduct, whether we lead a holy and justice-seeking lifestyle, as compared to occasional rituals of giving. We remember in a recent reading, how Saul thought he did good by offering what he thought were the best meat portions for God, but Samuel correctly highlighted: What good is that if he didn’t obey God? For us, our obedience in God is reflected in our daily living, in our response to the needy, in the less visible small things we do each day, not so much in the visible showing during rituals.


Verse 4 highlights how our pride can easily blind us, thinking we are humbler than we really are, and thinking we submit to God when we submit to our desires more. We may think, “That can’t be us! We are not wicked!” But the wicked here refers to people whose life choices are guided by their preferences and urges. This proverb, as a mirror, reflects something I try to dial down and hide in the deep recesses of my brain. When I confront that reflection seriously, it reveals a life still very much driven by my preferences, and very little submission to God. Do I belong to the wicked in v4? I think many times, I do. The crux is how do I respond with this revelation?


REST

Dear God, continue to search my heart and reveal my faults to me. In times of my arrogance, take down my pride and make me humble before you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.


Chris Chong 

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