ISOLATION BECOMES REVELATION Revelation 1:9-20
I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. (vv10-11)
When you read Luke 8:26-39 you will discover that the ministry of Jesus was not deterred by opposition. Turning to another direction, He was able to work some of His greatest miracles – the feeding of the five thousand. The deflection became to Him a spur. Are you feeling defeated because much of what you planned has gone wrong? Whatever you are feeling right now can be turned into strength by the grace of God that is flowing towards you.
When John was banished to the island of Patmos because of his allegiance to Jesus, it must have seemed that his ministry and his plans had all been cruelly and abruptly ended. He says, “I, John … was in… Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet which said” write…what you see…” (Revelation 1:9-11) So isolated from other Christians and prevented from ministering to them by word of mouth, John wrote what he saw and as a result blessed not only the churches of his day but the whole Christian Church from that day to this. John’s isolation became a place of revelation. In a lesser way, the failure of our plans can be an opportunity for us to stop listen to see if God is leading in a different direction. Can I encourage you today, if your plans have gone wrong, to listen to what God is saying – and write.
PRAYER LINE: Gracious and loving heavenly Father, it is Your purposes I want to achieve, not my own. Help me to discover Your better plans. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. (EDWJ)
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We can trust God’s unchanging Word.