Revelation 1:9–13
9 I, John, your brother who share with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” 12 Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest.
During this coming Lent, on Thursday evenings, I will be teaching about the book of Revelation. I am excited about the opportunity and am studying for it. John had a revelation, a vision, but he also heard a voice, as this passage makes clear. I have not received such a vision from God. I hear God’s voice speaking to me, but not in a way that resembles how I hear human voices. More than anything, I receive ideas that I believe are from God. They are ideas for sermons or for these devotionals. They usually come as I wake up from sleep. They may be part of my dreaming, but they are very real.
A dream this morning gave me the idea for this devotional. It guided me to start talking about the book of Revelation and John’s vision. We need to be open to how God is speaking to us. John received a vision. The seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation not only received a report of that vision, but they also received some personal advice from John. How does God speak to you?
Besides what I described above, God speaks to me as I listen to other people. I trust that any person might be a voice from God to me. I certainly listen to the pastors with whom I meet for an hour each week. I also listen to the confirmation students whom I am teaching on Wednesday evenings. I listen for God’s messages in those situations where the other people have no idea that they might be God’s messengers.
The book of Revelation is a great book, but one that has been greatly misinterpreted in our culture. I am looking forward to teaching about the book and the meaning it still can have for each of us.
PRAYER Dear Lord Jesus, you reveal yourself to us in so many ways. Be present and reveal yourself to us today. Guide us in our lives. In your name we pray, Amen.