Monday night I went to bed, but woke up about 2:00 a.m. and could not get back to sleep. Some folks suggest that when you can't sleep, it is best to get out of bed and do something relaxing. So I got up and went into our family room, turned on a light, and began reading my Bible. I have found that reading my Bible when I can't sleep usually calms me down. Eventually I can fall back to sleep. For some reason I decided to read through the book of Revelation. Some of you who know anything about the book of Revelation may wonder why anyone would do that - and I agree with you. It is probably the scariest book in the Bible - which again makes no sense to read in the middle of the night - but I did anyway. I read all 22 chapters!
The good thing to know is that it starts and ends on a pretty positive note - except for all the warnings at the end of chapter 22. I am not going into all the different ways one can interpret the book of Revelation - but however you read it, it certainly gets your attention. Years ago there was a book called The Late Great Planet Earth in which the author presented a very concise view of the end of history based on his interpretation of the book of Revelation. It was all the rage. From time to time someone still asks me if I have read it and what I think about it. My short answer is that while I appreciate the author taking the book seriously, I don't think he got it right.
Of all the verses I read the other night, the one that comforted me the most was this one: "He [God] will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4, NIV) However it turns out, God promises that in the end it will be okay - and that is good enough for me!
Prayer for Today
God of past, present, and future - we thank you that however it all turns out, you promise that for those who put their trust in you, it will be okay. Until that time, help us to live each day faithfully as followers of Jesus the Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
