ESOCS Devotional 23 August
TEXT: Revelations 16: 1-14
MEMORY VERSE: “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.” Revelation 16:1
The end time era has begun. The judgement of the wrath of God against a disobedient world would follow next. God had never demonstrated His righteous anger against any people without first warning them. We need to understand the ways of God in these things so that we would not be taken unawares. His longsuffering and great pity cannot be understood by mortal men. He gives a very long time for people to repent and change from their evil and sinful ways. However, we should understand that His patience also expires.
In the wilderness, he waited for forty years for the Israelites to amend their ways. But they refused to change and continued to do worst things. His wrath fell on all those that were twenty years and above. They all died in the wilderness (Psalm 78:1-72). They did not enter the land of promise: Canaan. God had warned them repeatedly. But they closed their ears and hardened their hearts against Him who is able to kill and make alive. He sent many enemy nations to conquer them and take them captives. They did not learn any lesson. When they cried to God He would have mercy and deliver them for the sake of the honour of His name. Yet, in a little they would go back to those things that dishonour and annoy God. What a stubborn people! The scripture calls them and people who behave like them today, a stiff-necked people. God said concerning the Israelites: “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!’” (Ex. 32:9).
Read yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
God has always warned the world about the judgement to come. Unfortunately, the world does not take His warnings seriously. It is like it was in the days of Noah and Lot; just as our lord Jesus said: “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:26-30).
As Christians, let us learn to take this warning from God very seriously. Let us grow the fear of God in us. Let us also love Him sincerely. This is only how we accept his will and do them. That great and terrible day of the Lord shall come when the righteous shall be separated from the sinners. Then, all those whose names would not be found in the Lamb’s Book of Life would be sent into the lake of fire. But if we remain faithful, we shall join the angels and triumphant saints to sing new songs of praise to the glory of God and the Lamb of God who is sitting on the throne (Rev. 15:3).
CHALLENGES
- How do you think the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus would be?
- Does heaven describe you as a stiff-necked person?
PRAYER POINT:
- Pray that the Holy Spirit may help you remain faithful o God until the Second Coming.
FURTHER READING:Malachi 2:13-17; 3:1-7; Romans 15:1-12; 14:13-21
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ESOCS Devotional 23rd August
