Tuesday December 9

Joel 1-3

Revelation 1

Psalms 128:1-6

Proverbs 29:18

Revelation 1:17-18

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave."

I don't usually have very positive feelings about the book of Revelation. I can remember times when I've read it or studied it or learned about it and feeling very uneasy. For one thing, it can be difficult to understand. There's a lot of imagery that may not make sense to the reader. Also, there's some pretty scary stuff in it. The events that are foretold are not pleasant and when they unfold there were will be a lot of confusion and suffering. 

But we have no reason to be afraid. Even though we don't understand everything about this book, even though the future is unknown and scary, we have no reason to fear. And it's obvious from Rev 1:17-18. Jesus tells us not to be afraid. He is the First and the Last. He is the living one. He died once but now He is alive forever. He conquered death and has power over the grave. 

So if you're like me and you often find yourself worried over things you don't understand or things that are to come, remember that you have Jesus on your side and you have no reason to be afraid.