Beautiful Sky

 

Devotions for November 6, 2020

 

Prayer

Dear God,

I looked up this morning while I was outside and noticed a spectacular display of streaming clouds in Your beautiful sky. I give you thanks for each new day, particularly this one. I have no idea what today holds, but I know that you hold it. I cannot see tomorrow, but I know you do. I turn all that I am and might be over to your beautiful design. I lift to you all those that are in need today into your care … I give you alone the praise, the glory, and the power, forever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 9:13-21

Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” So the four angels were released, who had been held ready for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, to kill a third of humankind. The number of the troops of cavalry was two hundred million; I heard their number. And this was how I saw the horses in my vision: the riders wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur; the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. By these three plagues a third of humankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they inflict harm. The rest of humankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands or give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their fornication or their thefts.

 

Reflection

The Revelation to John is full of colorful and detailed images that delight and frighten. There is no way to overestimate the power that is depicted. Yet, it is important to remember that Revelation is a book of visions, many of which are yet to be explained. Some are very helpful, and others elude our full understanding. I find it most beneficial to interpret Revelation in a mindset of a proclamation that “God is in Control.” We need this understanding in our time. We need not fear the end, it is with God. The final scenes of Revelation are of the abiding God coming down and remaking what we know into the full intended reality without any more mysteries or blurry depictions. We live in hope for that great time, when God will be our all in all and when love will be all we know. Then we will sing praises to the one true God of all the people!