Sat.’s Devo - God’s Promises

Read: Zechariah 8:1-23; Revelation 16:1-21; Psalm 144:1-15; Proverbs 30:29-31 What a promise to read on Christmas! “All this may sound impossible to you now…but is it impossible for me?” That is God’s promise to us. He told Jerusalem that one day it would be filled with God’s people enjoying life and thriving. God promised to rescue his people and he promises to rescue us. When they began rebuilding the temple their nation was divided, people were unemployed and life was unsafe. But everything was about to change. Their part was to speak the truth to each other, render right verdicts in court and stop scheming against each other. Jerusalem would once more be a powerful nation where people would come to worship the Lord. This is true of America. It will once again be a powerful righteous nation where people will seek out Christians to have as their friends. In Revelation, it was time for the bowls of God’s wrath to be poured out on the world. The first angel poured out his bowl and malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his statue. The second angel poured out his bowl one the sea and everything in it died. The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs and they became blood. A voice cried out that this was judgment on those who shed the blood of God’s holy people and his prophets. The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun making its heat burn the people . They cursed God’s name who was sending these plagues. They did not repent. The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. His subjects ground their teeth in anguish. They used the God of heaven for their pains and sores. They did not repent. The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the Euphrates River and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies to the west. Three evil sprite leapt from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. These spirits worked miracles and went out to gather the rulers of the world to battle against the Lord at Armageddon. The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air and God shouted “It is finished?” The thunder erased and rolled and lightning flashed and a great earth take struck splitting the city of Babylon into three sections. Many nations fell into ruins and hail fell that weighed as much as 75 pounds onto the people below. They cursed God. This sounds much like the scene when Jesus said, “It is finished” from the cross. Only this time… it will all be finished. Lord, thank you for telling us what is going to happen in the end so we can have hope.