Many believe the book of Revelation is a book of the future. I believe that much of it is already in the past. But I am not writing this to debate or even try to explain what most would call the most challenging book in the Bible. Maybe that’s another blog for another day but regardless of your belief about the prophetic book, we can learn much from it.
I think anyone reading this would agree that life is very hard. Sandwiched between smiles and laughs are tears, heartaches, and difficulties. Sometimes the difficulties are so overwhelmingly hard that those without hope do the unimaginable and choose to check out of this life. How could life get so bad? Why is a life given by a loving God so painful?
In order to understand our difficulties we need to understand our nature. After God flooded the earth and destroyed everything living that wasn’t on the ark, He said something that we must hear. Genesis 8:21 “"Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.” If EVERY inclination of the human heart is evil, than any time someone is nice or shows love it is from God. Without God, we are completely evil. Because we are evil, God is constantly working to refine and purify us. How does He do this? Through trials, tests, and difficulties.
In three different places in Revelation God causes mankind to suffer and man refused to repent:
Revelation 9:20-21 “The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.”
Revelation 16:9 “They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.”
Revelation 16:10-11 “People gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.”
Just days ago I read these versus in unbelief. How could these people go through all that and still not repent? But then God spoke to me as I was studying the word. These verses are not some far off event that is yet to happen. This is the heart of man throughout history. I have been that man that refused to repent.
I think anyone reading this would agree that life is very hard. Sandwiched between smiles and laughs are tears, heartaches, and difficulties. Sometimes the difficulties are so overwhelmingly hard that those without hope do the unimaginable and choose to check out of this life. How could life get so bad? Why is a life given by a loving God so painful?
In order to understand our difficulties we need to understand our nature. After God flooded the earth and destroyed everything living that wasn’t on the ark, He said something that we must hear. Genesis 8:21 “"Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.” If EVERY inclination of the human heart is evil, than any time someone is nice or shows love it is from God. Without God, we are completely evil. Because we are evil, God is constantly working to refine and purify us. How does He do this? Through trials, tests, and difficulties.
In three different places in Revelation God causes mankind to suffer and man refused to repent:
Revelation 9:20-21 “The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.”
Revelation 16:9 “They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.”
Revelation 16:10-11 “People gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.”
Just days ago I read these versus in unbelief. How could these people go through all that and still not repent? But then God spoke to me as I was studying the word. These verses are not some far off event that is yet to happen. This is the heart of man throughout history. I have been that man that refused to repent.
GOD OFTEN SENDS US TROUBLE TO KEEP US FROM SLEEPING. REVELATION 16:15 “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”
We know that God loves all His creation. When God spoke to the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:19-20, He tells us He brings trouble upon us for a purpose. He brings trouble to change our hearts. But all the trouble in the world will not cause us to repent without a willing heart. We must choose it. “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” If we don’t repent and turn to Him, we will spend eternity in a place completely void of God. We don’t know what that feels like because we feel and see His presence on earth almost everywhere we look. In that place there will be no light, no warmth, no love, no smiles, no joy, and no hope.
Every difficulty you experience is an opportunity for you to glorify God. Every struggle that God gives you is gift given for you to become a little more like Him. The more trouble we have, the stronger in spirit we can become. If we look at trouble and suffering from a flesh perspective, we can easily get frustrated and angry with God. If we look at heartache and pain from a spiritual perspective, we see it for what it is…a gift. God is not an evil God for allowing pain and heartache to happen. God is a beautiful and amazing God for giving us the opportunity to turn from our wickedness and repent. Time is running out. Don't let Him find you sleeping.
Every difficulty you experience is an opportunity for you to glorify God. Every struggle that God gives you is gift given for you to become a little more like Him. The more trouble we have, the stronger in spirit we can become. If we look at trouble and suffering from a flesh perspective, we can easily get frustrated and angry with God. If we look at heartache and pain from a spiritual perspective, we see it for what it is…a gift. God is not an evil God for allowing pain and heartache to happen. God is a beautiful and amazing God for giving us the opportunity to turn from our wickedness and repent. Time is running out. Don't let Him find you sleeping.
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