BLESSED IS HE THAT...

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which
God gave unto him, to shew unto his
servants things which must shortly
come to pass; and he sent and
signified it by his angel unto his
servant John;

Who bare record of the word of God,
and of the testimony of Jesus Christ,
and of all things that he saw,

Blessed is he that readeth, and they
that hear and words of this prophecy, and
keep those things which are written therein;
for the time is at hand.

Revelation 1:1-3

Perhaps about the last book in my Bible I venture toward for an in depth study is the book of Revelation. I've read through it on several occasions and have picked up information from it. I guess I'm not the best theological thinker there has ever been, but I refuse to give up on this book that gives us the hope, encouragement and information regarding final earthly days as well as heavenly ones. Mostly we are shown the complete victory that has been God's all along. Of great importance is seeing the final end of Satan on this earth, and his being confined to his final home.

Recently as I began another read of Revelation, I found right away that I was stuck on the first three verses. I saw an organization to them I hadn't noticed before. That is so like the Holy Spirit, our teacher, who always has new and fresh insights in the Word when we pray, asking His direction.

Verse one speaks of God and His intent on getting the message of this book , the revelation of Jesus...to John...a message having to do with things to come. Verse two then looks at John and his responsibility in extending that message. In verse two, John is referred to as “who.” He was commissioned to pass along God's message he had received through the vision God had given regarding things that were to come.

Verse three then comes down to you and me. We learn here that we are blessed (happy) if we deal with this book as we ought to do. So much more could be said about these three verses, but there is another trio of words that really places a great responsibility on us. It's a threesome that works in tandem with each other, three concepts that can't be separated from each other. In fact, the same three words found in verse 3 that I have underlined above are still words that are a good pattern for us as we delve into any of the other 65 books of Scripture.

The first word stressed is READ. Without that process, there's no real constant with the Bible. We may carry it to church, keep it handy on a bedside table or even carry a copy of it in a tote of some kind. It remains paper, ink and binding like any other book if not read. As we read, the Holy Spirit stands by to teach us what we are reading. One of the biggest mistakes Bible readers make is not inviting the Holy Spirit to teach as one reads.

HEAR is the next word in this trio in our quest for knowing God better and His will for our lives. I have, on many occasions, read my Bible, closed it and walked away with little from what I read that soaked into my mind and heart. John's next exhortation was for hearing the word. This hearing doesn't necessarily refer to the physical act of hearing. It can be hearing the Scriptures read from the pulpit or in a class of some kind. Even then, the Word may not soak into our hearts. As my Mother would say...in one ear and out the other. This hearing referred to is a spiritual, heart-soaking one that makes all the difference

Lastly is the word KEEP. This is where the Word really sticks, is incorporated into our every day living...faith with feet, walking in obedience and in close relationship with the Author of it all. Books have been written regarding a Christians intimate walk with God and being “Jesus with skin on” to the world around us. Unless I read the Word, there isn't going to be much hearing or keeping. I then find myself trying to live the Christian life in my own strength and that usually doesn't work very well. This is a trio of concepts that work together.

Our minds these days are preoccupied with a lot of things...most of which we can humanly do nothing about. God has promised will be a blessing when the Word becomes our mainstay. God delights in blessing His children. He wants an intimate relationship with us. The more we read, the more we will know God better. When we seriously hear, we'll know wonderful spiritual growth and when we keep, we will come to love serving Him like we never dreamed possible. May we be among the blessed that...

Dear Father, I'm so grateful for Your Word even though there are so many parts I have trouble grasping. May I be open to the teaching of Your Spirit and willingly walk in obedience that will please You. Thank You for Your Son Jesus, our Savior Who gave His all for me. In difficult days, may I not lose focus of Him, His love and sacrifice. In His name...Amen