S) "8 'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'"
Revelation 1:8 (NASB)
O) Before going into the details of the vision to come, Jesus establishes His sovereignty with this verse. He is everlasting and eternal. He is both the Beginning and the End. He doesn't qualify those statements, because He is completely those things. He is in all three phases of time (as we know them); He is present, past, and future. It also seems purposeful, that the time-tenses were listed in this order. It often seems that this is the same order that God wants us to think of time. He is first concerned with our present - do what He is saying to do. Now. Then, we are quite often instructed to remember our past - especially regarding the LORD. It seems that the future is often the last thing we are supposed to consider. Lastly, it cannot be missed that He is establishing that He is the Almighty, was the Almighty, and will be the Almighty.
A) The principle application is reverence for God. I also should draw comfort from knowing that He stands apart from time passing, or through all time passing. He is aware of every part of time, knowing it all fully. And I need to trust that He is almighty, throughout all time. He is almighty in my current circumstances. He is almighty over my past mistakes and failures. He is almighty over my unseen (to me) future.
P) LORD, You are the Alpha and Omega. You are the One who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty over all of time. Help me to trust in Your sovereignty. Open my eyes and ears, that I might rightly fear Your power and presence. Thank You for the grace that is to know You, and to have relationship with You, through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for revealing Your character, through the Bible, Your holy words. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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