Day 276: Questions

Revelation 20; Isaiah 7-8; Psalm 110

When it comes to Revelation, I tend to finish reading with more questions than answers. For instance, my translation says that the devil "will have to be set free" again for a bit, after the 1000 years. Why does he "have to"? Then what are those who were beheaded going to do for 1000 years? Which countries are Gog and Magog? And the list goes on...And I'm ok with some questions. The answers to these questions will not make or break my faith. They don't make me feel like God doesn't love me or he's trying to hide stuff from me. I trust God and I'll live my life for him.

What I do find so interesting, and this is something I had not picked up before, is the scene described at the end of this chapter of the final judgement: "Everyone of them was there no matter who they had once been....Then everyone was judged by whet they had done." All humans who have ever lived are going to stand before God on the great white throne and have to give account for what their life consisted of. Ugh. That's going to be painful. None of us are perfect and it makes me wonder what is going to be pointed out about me. I pray that our lives would be filled with good things so that that judgment isn't so terrifying.

In these chapters in Isaiah, there is several references to fear and worry. First, Judah is told not to be afraid of their enemies for any reason. God promises that they are basically all bark and no bite. Then later, God tells them that if they should fear anyone, it should be God because his power to destroy or protect is greater than any other force on earth.

This psalm ends with God winning victory after victory. No where in scripture is God the victim, and even while he is dying on the cross, Jesus showed great power, control, and love, not acting victimized. With God, we should live victoriously!