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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ISAIAH 32, 33

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 TEXT FOR REFLECTION

The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high;

    he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness,

and he will be the stability of your times,

    abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;

    the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure.    Isaiah 33:5, 6

REFLECT

All of Israel's problems stemmed from Israel not fearing the Lord. In fact, at many junctures of Israel's history, God was pushed to a corner and not even considered. The people of Israel certainly did not fear God. They feared their powerful neighbours; feared their weapons; they feared their neighbours' gods; they feared the elements. But they did not fear God. Their actions - idolatry, oppression, and arrogance showed that God was the last thing on their minds. 

Because they did not fear the Lord, the people of Israel fell victim to the things they feared - they were constantly invaded by their neighbours; they were victims of drought and famines, and locust infestations. Their land was devastated.

God's hope and promise was always that His people would once again return to Him so that He could protect them from their enemies and the pestilence that followed them. If they would turn to Him, He would be able to prosper them. The one thing the people needed was to fear God. Fearing God meant that they would always do the right thing - the thing that would work justice and compassion and peace.

The prophet Isaiah put it succinctly: the Fear of the Lord would be Zion's treasure. The one thing that was indispensable to the people of Israel was the Fear of the Lord.

RELATE

What does it mean to have the fear of the Lord as one's treasure? Two teachings of our Lord Jesus may help us understand this better. In Matthew 6:21, Jesus spoke about the futility of going after earthly treasures, where "moths and rust consume". Instead they should store up treasures in heaven ie God's pleasure, where no element could destroy and no thief could steal. Then He added that where our treasure is, there our hearts will be. This teaching tells us  that if the Fear of the Lord is our treasure, then our hearts, that is, our desire will be fixed on having the Fear of the Lord. 

On another occasion, Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to treasure that a man found, and then sold everything he had so that he could buy the land on which the treasure was found. To treasure the Fear of the Lord, is to use everything at our disposal to fear the Lord.

To fear the Lord is to want to never go against the Lord. A person who then treasures the fear of the Lord will examine everything he does with the question: would my Lord be pleased with what I am doing? She will use every resource at her disposal to please the Lord. To fear the Lord is to seek God's pleasure. 

God's pleasure is indeed the one thing that will bring joy into our lives.

REST

1 Make me a captive, Lord,

And then I shall be free.

Force me to render up my sword

And I shall conqueror be.

I sink in life's alarms

When by myself I stand;

Imprison me within thine arms,

And strong shall be my hand.

2 My heart is weak and poor

Until it master find;

It has no spring of action sure,

It varies with the wind.

It cannot freely move

Till thou hast wrought its chain;

Enslave it with thy matchless love,

And deathless it shall reign.

3 My pow'r is faint and low

Till I have learned to serve;

It lacks the needed fire to glow,

It lacks the breeze to nerve.

It cannot drive the world

Until itself be driv'n;

Its flag can only be unfurled

When thou shalt breathe from heav'n.

4 My will is not my own

Till thou hast made it thine;

If it would reach a monarch's throne,

It must its crown resign.

It only stands unbent

Amid the clashing strife

When on thy bosom it has leant,

And found in thee its life.


Chiu Ming Li

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