He Reigns
Bible reading
9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.
– Revelation 1:9-10 (NIVUK)
Devotional
You’ve had a really long day, in fact, it’s been a really long week. Work was hard and you felt very much alone. You saw corruption and this week, you called attention to it. You thought you were being noble, you thought you were doing the right thing. But it didn’t work out well for you! Instead of being thanked, you were rebuked. Instead of being understood, you were called names. You hoped you could fly under the radar for the rest of the week, but you were wrong. They were talking behind your back, everyone was suddenly busy at lunchtime and you ate alone. Your boss gave you twice the amount of work he normally does and has criticized everything you’ve turned in.
Maybe it wasn’t just this week that was hard. This whole year has been hard! You had the best year planned out. You finally had enough money and time to take your dream vacation with your family. But then Covid-19 came, and all plans were cancelled. You had hoped that the vacation would allow you to get your marriage onto more stable ground but after being locked up together for months, your communication is at an all-time low. You now wonder if your marriage will make it to the end of the month.
What do you do in times like these? How do you cope? The Apostle John was having a bad year too. In fact, most of his years since Jesus’ ascension had been difficult. Sure, the first couple of years were great; people were desperate to hear about Jesus and to follow him, but now, now it was hard. People didn’t just talk behind his back, they openly insulted him. He hadn’t just called attention to corruption, he had called attention to the living Savior. No one wanted to have lunch with him either, in fact, no one wanted him around at all.
And now here he was, on a prison island with no hope of escape, and no hope of release. He was sent here to die. So, how did John cope? Revelation 1:10 – “On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit…” John was having his quiet time. That’s what he did… always! That’s how to make it through our bad days and our bad years! We can’t stop being with Jesus when things get difficult because that’s exactly when we need to be with him the most. John wasn’t with Jesus complaining and whimpering. He was with him in the Spirit and in worship. And Jesus spoke.
Maybe we don’t hear Jesus speak because maybe we’re not listening. And maybe we’re not listening because it’s been a very bad day. But my dear friend, let’s stop and imitate John. Wherever we are, stop and be with Jesus, in the Spirit.
– Connie Main Duarte
This devotional is part of a series that helps us navigate the texts of the book of Revelation with fresh eyes. A new devotional every Saturday.
These devotionals are available in Portuguese and in English.