Better Days Ahead!

Daily Reading: Hebrews 1

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. (Hebrews 1.8)

Devotional Thought: Hebrews was originally written for the benefit of early Jewish believers who were facing severe persecution for their faith in Jesus.  Some were tempted to turn back to their Judaism to avoid this persecution.  That's why the author dealt first and specifically with the superiority of Jesus over all other powers.

In this age of antagonism toward the truth, this is a comforting reality.  The One who is and who was and who is to come (Revelation 1) is reigning in absolute power over this earth.  The persecution and martyrdom of Christians and Jews has an expiration date.  The emotional and spiritual distress caused by an alarming decrease in religious freedom, even in the United States, is coming to an end.  The horror of the lack of respect for human life at all stages will not last forever. The Lamb who was slain will return as the Lion of Judah to conquer all evil, sin, and death, binding up our enemy and throwing him into the pit forever. 

Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  He has overcome the world – as broken as it is.  We can take heart in that knowledge.  In Revelation 21, we see a picture of what is to come.  "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

There are better days ahead!

Jenny Wade

Prayer: Lord, by the breath of your mouth you made all the host of heaven (Psalm 33.6) and by that same breath you also will destroy the lawless one (2 Thessalonians 2.8).  There are better days ahead!  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 51.1-6

1  Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.