Revelation 19 comes with a great reminder to get tough with our stuff. The life journey of a disciple of Christ isn't easy. We need to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power in all areas of this life. This is not a time for believers to be wimpy. It's time to get tough and be strong in our faith; in belief; in trusting God; in pushing away fears, worries, and doubts; in controlling our minds and thoughts; in being at peace; in getting enough rest; in saying 'no' to certain things; in our schedules; in our relationships; in forgiveness; in dealing with our past; in resisting temptations; in purity; in love, and in so many other aspects of this walk. You fill in the blank. What area is He calling you to get tough in?
The Great Tribulation is over! The Holy Spirit took us from Chapter 6 to 18, repeatedly filling in details, to cover only seven years in this story. In Chapter 19, everything changes. This is the moment all of heaven has longed for-for all of eternity. Jesus Christ is coming back to take control over planet Earth. He is going to deal with evil and restore righteousness. He will rule as King of Kings. This fact inspires roars of praise, thundering across the heavens, where all the people and creatures are shouting "Hallelujah!". This is an Old Testament command for everyone to praise the Lord. Not one other place in the New Testament is it used until this point in the story. It is as if it has been reserved for this special time of the final victory.
Notice, after all the nasty judgments of the Tribulation, the testimonies of those people in heaven, those who have complete knowledge and wisdom, admit that God's actions are true and just. They should have better perspective than we have on Earth, so I believe we can accept His judgments as fair and right. We can accept our circumstances as just, as we trust He is ultimately good and is in control of our lives. He is working all things out for the good of those who love Him.
God will avenge on our behalf. We are not to take vengeance. We are to let go of offenses and trust that God will deal with them. Do you believe that no one will get away with their wrongdoing? It's true. We will all face judgment for our actions. The fact is, we will continually feel ripped off or treated wrongly. There's no need to defend or avenge yourself. Times are tough, no doubt. There is much corruption and evil in the world. In the course of living amongst this opposition, we incur wounds. Indeed, we need healing from some wounds from the past in order to move forward in a healthy, strong way. I was directed to Jer. 17:14, "Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and will be saved, for you are the one I praise." We need to allow time for God to heal these wounds. It doesn't happen overnight. You may have to forgive and release individuals many times a day until it slowly becomes less of a stronghold. Be tough in your forgiveness. Be relentless in letting your hands off their throats. Acceptingly trust God and take a small step of faith forward. It takes the pressure off of you. See your circumstances from God's perspective.
You didn't realize there would be a test in this study, did you? We see a reference to it in this passage, where the elders (that's the raptured church, consisting of you and me) are agreeing that God's judgments are true and just. They are praising and worshipping God. So, the test question is, when it comes to your circumstances, are you responding as a mature elder or an immature child? The degree to which you complain or murmur about your circumstances tells of your spiritual maturity. How you handle adversity, setbacks, disappointments, injuries, hardships, and trials will be your test.
John mistakenly falls for the temptation of worshipping the angel. This is a very vivid picture of what can easily happen in our lives. Something in us wants to worship, idolize, elevate, or exalt other people or things. I figure if John was vulnerable to it, I certainly am, and have proved it to be true. I can easily worship or love other people or things more than the Lord. What person or thing is it to you? We are to love the Lord more than anyone or anything. We must be strong in this. It becomes very important. He will have no other gods before Him. He is a very jealous God that has been very explicit about this. He is gracious to reveal this truth to us over time, slowly helping us realize what is really important in life, by allowing interests in other gods to wane. Let us cooperate in this process and agree that we cannot afford to allow anything to take the place of the Lord. He installed all of our natural longings, yearnings, and desires, but He created those things to be only fulfilled by Himself, not by counterfeits. May we grow strong in going to Him as our source of satisfaction in all these areas. We must be very careful. We can even become disillusioned in ministries, where we elevate them above God. God is not obligated to bless those things that aren't exclusively about glorifying Himself. Let us not be about us and promoting our selfish agendas. Let us be about glorifying and exalting God in everything we do and belong in. Be encouraged, friends. Get tough in your stuff.
