THE LORD SPOKE (August 27)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Psalm 111-116

“He will have no fear of bad news” (Ps. 112:7a). Does that sound like you? Would you be interested to know how that could be true? Just back up to see who is the antecedent of “he” and you’ll find the clue: “him who is generous and lends freely” (Ps. 112:5a). Keep backing up and you’ll find that it’s the man who fears the Lord (Ps. 112:1a). Take a look at his characteristics:

• finds great delight in the Lord’s commands (Ps. 112:1b)
• righteousness (Ps. 112:3b, 4b, 6b, 9b)
• gracious (Ps. 112:4b)
• compassionate (Ps. 112:4b)
• generous (Ps. 112:5a, 9a)
• just (Ps. 112:5b)
• unafraid (Ps. 112:7a,8a)
• trusting in the Lord (Ps. 112:7b)

That’s quite a listing! Are those qualities you’d like to have characterize your life? Take a second look. Twice it links righteousness with being generous (Ps. 112:4-5,9b). Twice it says he will have “no fear” (Ps. 112:7,8) and twice that he will have a strong heart (Ps. 112:7,8). Does that also include the physical heart? Take another look at the list of benefits:

• children who also love the Lord (Ps. 112:2)
• wealth and riches (Ps. 112:3)
• good in a variety of forms (Ps. 112:5)
• honor (Ps. 112:9)

All that and more is promised to “the man who fears the Lord” (Ps. 112:1). So how can a person access that truth?

1. Start by thinking of Him at all times. He should be a factor in every equation of your life.
2. Learn all you can about Him and His ways. This comes from the Bible. So you should read some Scripture every day. Read consistently; read meditatively; read hungrily.
3. Speak often to Him. Tell Him what you think, what you fear, what troubles you. Ask Him to help you.
4. Determine to follow through on what you’re discovering and learning about Him. Obey His commands; follow His ways; think His thoughts.

New Testament: Revelation 1

Any portion of Scripture will bring a blessing to those who read it but this part of the Bible makes a special promise to that effect. First to the reader but even more so to the one who “keeps” this prophecy. How do you “keep” prophecy? After reading it, you “take it to heart” (NIV), meaning, you live it out expectantly. You look for His coming and you long for the fulfillment of that which is promised.

Revelation 1:13-16 provides the only physical description we have of the Lord Jesus anywhere in the Bible. A few clues can be picked up in the Gospel accounts (He didn’t look strikingly different from others, He had a beard) but not much is known before this point. What we’re given here is a view of Him already in His glorified state, after His return to heaven. Jesus was...

dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. (Rev. 1:13-16)

When John, His best friend on earth, saw Him (Rev. 1:17), he fell at His feet as though dead. We’ll likely do the same. His blazing eyes will see right through us (could that be the fire of I Cor. 3:13-15?) and His thundering voice will rattle us in a way we’ve never yet experienced. What glory that will be!

John tells us that he was “in the Spirit” on “the Lord’s Day” when this happened (Rev. 1:10). This is most likely a reference to the day of Jesus’ resurrection (i.e. Passover season), not any given Sunday. That use of the term “Lord’s Day” comes into Christian practice much later. At this point, it referred to a yearly observance of Christ’s resurrection from the dead, not simply the first day of the week. Being in exile on the island of Patmos because of his witness for Christ, John was commissioned to write what he had seen (chapter 1, and everything that preceded in his Gospel account), what he was seeing (chapters 2-3), and what was yet to be seen (chapters 4-22).

What follows is the most staggering vision of the future that has ever been given to man. For 2000 years it has kept us captivated and wondering at many of the details. We see “through a glass darkly” something of what the future holds and we stand in awe. We tremble. We wait. And we say, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”