KEY VERSES:
16:5-7
And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
REFLECTIONS:
These chapters spell out a terrible time of God’s wrath and judgment on this world. As we see the angels pour out the vials of God’s wrath, we are reminded how vital it is to warn those around us. There is only one way to salvation, and we must tell others about Christ.
Some would ask how a loving God could cause such pain and suffering. The fact is, God didn't cause it. Our sin caused it. God is simply doing what a just God must do. We see in the key verses above that for judging thus, the Lord is declared righteous. His judgments are true and righteous according to verse 7. And let us not forget how He made salvation possible for us. He took the form of a man and suffered as we suffer. On the cross, He suffered much more than we can imagine. Separation from His Heavenly Father must have been even more painful than the physical suffering.
Also in this passage, I see a warning that we as believers need to heed. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. Revelation 16:15. I think of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. Five were not ready when the bridegroom came. As Christians, we ought to live each day ready to meet Him at any moment. Can you imagine the shame of coming face to face with our Savior at the very moment we were involved in some sinful activity or thought?
APPLICATION:
Let's thank the Lord today that He is true and righteous. Let's thank Him also that His mercy has been extended to us so that when God views us, He sees Christ's righteousness rather than our wickedness. Let's be warning those around us of the wrath to come and showing them Christ's love and mercy. And let us live our lives so that we are watching and ready to meet Him at any moment.
Thank you for being a part of the 100-Day Challenge. Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!
In Christ, Enoch Watt
SAVED: September 1987
FAVORITE BOOK IN BIBLE: I JohnFAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTER: David
FAMILY: Wife - Andrea; Kids - Grace (5), Isaac (1)
OCCUPATION: Ironworker