Saturday, December 8, 2018
At EACF we've been using the G.R.O.W. rubric to ask God to teach us through His word. We'll use that for this Advent devotional series as well.
PRAY and ask God to meet you and teach you as you read His word today.
READ Revelation 6. Meditate on verse 16. How do people still "hide" from God today?
REFLECT
God - What does God teach us about Himself through this text? We might be tempted to ask where God is in this text of doom and gloom until verse 11 when the message comes through. God has not abandoned His people, though trials have come.
Redeems - How does God work in our lives? Again, it is tempting to ask why God allows all these bad things to occur. Jesus told His disciples to anticipate these trials (Mt 24). They reveal our true faith and attitude toward God.
Our - What is our identity as highlighted here? Well, it seems like we are being sorted (Mt 25). Some put their hope in and turn toward Jesus. Some run and hide and pray for destruction before God has a chance to judge.
World - How is God calling us to share His grace with the world? The world slumbers and sleeps, thinking that God is not watching and intending to bring things to accountability. We must help people to see the truth about our sin and the corruption and troubles of this world and call them to Jesus.
RESPOND
We like to think of Christmas and Advent as a joyous time of expecting Jesus. Does Revelation 6 fit into this picture, even as we shift to expecting His return? Yes. Every time you face difficulty in this world, whether it's your or another person's sin or simply the brokenness of this world, you experience part of Revelation 6, and you hope for Jesus to come back again to finish banishing sin and its curse. It's okay to admit the pain, even during Christmas. This is how we acknowledge our desire for Jesus to come back. God, thank You for telling us that trials are real and expected, and that You are still with us and at work. Help us to long more deeply for Creation to be made right again. Let us groan deeply, and hope deeply in Jesus.
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