S) "1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, 'Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.'"
Revelation 7:1-3 (NASB)
O) Revelation can be quite a scary book to read. There is a lot of powerful imagery, certain death, tribulation, and mystery recorded in the book. The above passage is pretty firmly positioned in the middle of all the craziness starting. The four horsemen of the apocalypse have already come, and a fourth of the earth has been quickly killed. Scary. Then, this verse shows us a comforting truth. Amid all of the (to us) uncertainty within this vision, God, our heavenly Father, is still completely sovereign. Nothing recorded in the book of Revelation will happen without His completely knowledge, or even explicit direction.
A) There is nothing to fear in the book of Revelation, for those who completely trust and obey the LORD. The same God who is sovereign in these end-times, is the same God who was sovereign throughout the Bible, and is the same God who is sovereign right now. When things get hectic and scary, I need to remember that every test, trial, or tribulation I experience, is still well within His control, even if it's well beyond mine.
P) Father, You are completely in control. You are sovereign, all-powerful, and wise. You are completely trustworthy. Not even the wind will blow, without Your permission. Help me to remember that You are always in control, especially when things seem to be mounting against me. Let me rest in the knowledge that I am sealed with the Holy Spirit, already. Let Your will continue to be done in my life, and in the world, just as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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