Your Opportunity

Reading: Jeremiah 42-44; Psalm 48; Revelation 13 8 And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made. 9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. 10 Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword. This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful. (Revelation 13:8-10 NLT) This brief chapter is filled with the exploits of the two evil beasts that blasphemed God and deceived the people of the world. Lest we forget that even in troubling times God is still in charge, the phrase “was allowed” or “was permitted” is used four times in this chapter describing the activities of the two evil beasts. What happened is what God allowed to happen. Even as verse 10 tells us that bad things will happen—in this case, the suffering of imprisonment or death—God reminds his people that hard times (which He has allowed to happen) provide an opportunity to develop and exercise endurance and faith. When wrong and hurtful things happen, my reaction is to wish and pray that God will “Just make it stop!”
• When I experience hardship or setback or feel I am treated unfairly, my reaction is to wish and pray for justice and relief.
• When things are going badly, I really struggle with the “If only” issue—“If only that hadn’t happened” or “If only I had done this instead!” God says that the challenging and difficult things that happen are the things he allows to happen, and that you and I should not be dismayed, but should respond to these things as opportunities to develop endurance and faith. Prayer:

Father, I believe this is the word you have for me today. I need grace and faith and strength and courage to respond to your word and not to panic at the things that happen around me, and not to react badly to the things that happen to me. Help me resist the temptation to whine and complain when challenges come. May I, with confidence and grace, recognize my opportunity to develop endurance and faith. Amen.