Monday, December 10, 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 8. How does these visions make you feel?
REFLECT
God - What does God teach us about Himself through this text? There does not seem to be much directly conveyed here, but the entire scene is severe, and the gravity of these visions makes us feel powerless...but magnifies God's presence and person.
Redeems - How does God work in our lives? What a terrible scene this is, but God is still presiding over it all, hearing our prayers (3) and acting.
Our - What is our identity as highlighted here? We are recipients of the activity around us, at God's mercy and reliant upon Him.
World - How is God calling us to share His grace with the world? This is what people need to know - judgment is coming. We must share Jesus with others.
RESPOND
There are some interpretive questions here: commentators suggest the trumpets scenes run parallel to the seals and that some aspects may point to history while others are things to come. The symbolic nature of this vision may render assignment to specific moments in human history a difficult exercise, but the impact of the vision is real and calls us to attention: there will be judgment of sin in the world, and we are at God's mercy. At Christmas and going forward, we thank God for the mercy found in Jesus Christ alone. God, thank You that while we understand that judgment is right, and that judgment is severe, we can put our faith in Jesus Christ to rescue us from the judgment we deserve for our very real sins. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
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