SCRIPTURE: Revelation 16
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
What happens when I put my hand in the fire? I get burned, obviously. Doing something stupid has consequences, we all know that. Do we also realize that all of our moral failures have consequences? Every little way that we fail to reach perfection (as we were created to be) has ripple effects that hurt so many people. Our lifestyle choices result in environmental, social, economic and personal consequences. The Bible is right, we reap what we sow [Galatians 6:7-8].
In these visions we see the full consequences of humanity’s corruption finally unleashed. The bowls of God’s wrath are not examples of His indiscriminate rage getting back at us for rejecting Him. They are the natural consequences of our actions finally unleashed. All this time God has been holding back the ‘wages’ of sin, but on the final day, He will finally release the consequences. And the result will be catastrophic disaster – sickness, death, violence, cruelty, hell on earth.
And the point of this is the same point of all these years of God’s patience and tolerance – to lead people to repent. Some will repent, but many more will curse God and blame Him, as if He was responsible for the mess this world is, and will be.
All of this will culminate in a final confrontation between Evil (and those who choose it) and God (and those who choose Him). Called ‘armageddon’, this final confrontation will conclude with Jesus final victory, and the final elimination of Satan, sin, death and hell (and all its partners).
According to this, the last days are going to be dark. The ‘lucky’ ones will be those who die in/with the Lord, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” [14:13].
Do we blame and curse God for natural disasters? For cancer? For war or famine or poverty or violence or environmental crises? Or do we see it as the natural consequence of sin (ours and the worlds). Curse God, or cling to Him for mercy. What will it be?
PRAYER:
Lord, when I deal with terrible things, I do tend to blame against You. This is wrong, I realize that. Help me to see that all the evil and suffering that will ever come about, is the natural consequence of our sin, not Your fault.
The judgements that the angels gave, we deserved. We have all gone our own way and did what was right in our own eyes. God’s judgements are just and true, but we refuse to repent and give Him the glory. We glory in ourselves. God is patient. God gives mankind many opportunities to repent, but he is blind and continues to mire in the mud. One day the Lord will come, like a thief in the night, when it will be all done. No more. Judgement day.
Other people read me each day, but am I able to read myself. How am I alive in Him? How do I see His presence in the world around me today. How do I hear the Lord speakng to me through the calamities around me? Help me to see Jesus this day. May I never do the blame game , but in all things, see that my God reigns, today and always.
How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him,
Who brings good news, good news;
Announcing peace, proclaiming news of happiness.
Our God Reigns! Our God Reigns!