John’s Encounter
I was doing my QT today from Revelation 1:9-18.
The verses that jumped out at me were from Revelation 1:13-16, and you’ll understand why when you read on, but for now, these are the verses, from the NLT:
And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two- edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.
For me, there is no real key verse today because everything was just so so overwhelming. From the first time I read through this passage, in the NLT form, I could feel such an overwhelming presence of God upon me. I then read the NASB version, and after that read the devotional material.
It was then that the waves of God’s presence – His beautiful, holy presence – just came washing and crashing over me. The description of Jesus’ voice in the scripture “like the sound of many waters” just doesn’t quite get across until you realize the magnitude of that sound. It’s like being surrounded by a giant waterfall; the roaring, deafening sound was what John paralleled Jesus’ voice to. And the rest of that description – His face shone like the Sun, His eyes were like a blazing fire, feet like polished bronze. Wow.
We worship a great and awesome God, and we have the privilege, daily, hourly, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, of coming into His awesome presence. Sometimes, we take it for granted. Yes, we can’t see Him, but does that make Him any less of a great and awesome God? It shouldn’t and I hope it doesn’t for you. It takes faith!
Truly, all things fade away in His presence. May I never take this privilege for granted, and may I always hunger for His presence!
