Listen

Look, he is coming with the clouds! Every eye will see him, including those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. This is so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is and was and is coming, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1:7-8

Think

John, the author of Revelation, wrote to people who were suffering, buckling under the weight of the empire. The battle against hopelessness was constant. Perhaps that is why, as John began the long, strange story of his divine revelation, he started with words of promise:

Christ will come again, just as he promised, and his return will be unmistakable.

John then reminded his readers of God’s eternal presence. God is the A to Z. God is the now and the forever. There has never been a time, or even a time beyond time, when God wasn’t there. Nothing that we face or endure exists outside the bounds of God and God’s great love for us. Not life, not death, not anything in between.

So, let us look to the clouds and offer up our shouts of praise, even if the clouds remain simply puffy white shapes in the sky. For we know the day of the Lord will come, and in the meantime, our lives are held safe in the love of Christ.

Jennifer Christenson

Question to Ponder:

Where do you seek hope when you are hurting?

Pray

God, at times the challenges I face seem so huge, and it is hard to remain hopeful. Help me to remember that everything that happens is held in your strong and compassionate hands. Give me courage to take the next breath and the next step, trusting that you are always with me. Amen.

Go

This IS the day that the Lord has made. Listen for the ways God’s creation offers up its praise. Then add your voice to the song, giving praise for all God has done.