Revelation 1:4b-8 (NRSV)
Read Revelation 1:4b-8 on biblegateway.com
Verse 4John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, Verse 5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, Verse 6and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Verse 7Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. Verse 8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
Devotion
The writer of Revelation promises that we will get to see God. Will we realize this when it happens? Will we see the God of Daniel’s vision with white hair and clothing? Or will we see a human man in the form of Jesus who stood before Pilate? Or maybe we will remember the voice of the Holy Spirit as it called to us through the voices of others teaching us that we belong to God. Imagine that you are blindfolded and cannot see with your eyes. Would you still recognize the touch of your loved ones? That is how we can feel God’s love for us in our daily lives through the words and actions of others and through hearing or reading God’s word. Jesus is coming and we will know him when the time comes.
Prayer
Dear Lord, keep us from getting wrapped up in the unimportant details and help us to focus on you, enfolding us in your arms forever. Amen.
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