Because you have obeyed My instructions to endure and be patient, I will protect you from the time of trial which will come upon the whole earth and put everyone in it to the test. I will soon return. Hold tight to what you have so that no one can take away your victor’s wreath. [Revelation 3:10-11 VOICE]
It is hard to read this and not think about a marathon runner crossing the finish line and receiving a laurel wreath. In truth, life is like a marathon. Endurance is required. Training is mandatory. Discipline becomes a way of life. The runner lives differently because they want to finish the race.
Trials come at us from every direction. Our endurance is tested in them. Patience is stretched. The mettle of our spirituality is either dulled or sharpened. And each time we persist in faith we get closer to that heavenly laurel wreath. In that sense, to simply finish the race is to win it.
Hard to read about the return of Christ and not envision a heavenly appearance in the skies. In doing that I think that we miss an important aspect of the message. The return of Christ is spiritual. It is an ongoing metaphor for our passing from this life to our meeting Jesus when we die.
Strengthen our hearts Lord that we might joyfully endure until we see you face to face.
... this devotion is part of a series from the book of Revelation
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to get comments and usually respond. So come back to see my reply.
You can click here to see my comment policy.