Revelation 7:14-17 - “No, sir,” I
replied. “Please tell me.” “These are
the ones coming out of the Great Tribulation,” he said; “they washed their
robes and whitened them by the blood of the Lamb. That is why they are
here before the throne of God, serving him day and night in his temple.
The one sitting on the throne will shelter them; they will never be hungry
again, nor thirsty, and they will be fully protected from the scorching
noontime heat. For the Lamb standing in front of
the throne will feed them and be their Shepherd and lead them to the
springs of the Water of Life. And God will wipe their tears away.”
As John continues his tour of heaven he saw a great crowd of
people in white robes ….all consumed with praising the lamb of God who gave
them the faith and strength to persevere through a period of time John named as
the great tribulation. They made it
through this hard time because they allowed Christ to build a lasting faith
that gave them the strength they needed to walk through any test satan could set
before them.
They started with a choice to believe in Christ…and the
salvation they received in return strengthened them beyond any human capability
to endure hardship. Each time satan was given permission to test them…they
turned to God for exactly how to persevere through each trial.
I admit that it is hard to think of this time coming in our
future. I may not understand what it
will be fully…or just who God will leave on this earth to be his warriors of
faith. But this passage tells me that
the people who stand firm during this time and do not waver in their belief…who
cling to their belief in God no matter what will be honored with a close seat
next to Christ’s throne so they can shout their praises for the victory he will
give them.
The cool thing about their victory is that God will wipe
away every memory of pain and suffering.
The tears…the hunger pains…the thirst they had….it will all be
erased. And in its place will be a
feeling of deep gratitude for all God did to help them win over satan’s tricks ….
lies…and misery. They will drink in the
water God provides from the spring of life and forever sing his praise right
next to him in heaven.
Father...thank you for the reminder that you can give us the
faith and courage to walk through any time of trial and hardship. Forgive me for the times that I give up on
myself….and fail to call on you to help me endure the things that get me down. Show
me how to stay so connected to your love that I never fail to call on you again
when I feel I am slipping into a time of weakness. Help me to use the faith you have given me to
muster the courage and strength I need to walk through the trial you have
allowed…so I can experience the joy of victory when I am finally through the
test. Amen.
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