SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/21/2005
My Worship Time Focus: The Lament Continues
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: Revelation 18:14-19
Spiritual meaning for my life today: “"The fruit you long for has gone from
you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you
and men will no longer find them.15 The merchants who became wealthy by selling
her these things will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They
will weep and cry. 16 ‘How terrible, how
terrible for that great city! She was so beautiful—like a woman clothed in
finest purple and scarlet linens, decked out with gold and precious stones and
pearls! 17 And in one single moment all
the wealth of the city is gone!’ And all the ship owners and captains of the
merchant ships and their crews will stand at a distance. 18 They will weep as they watch the smoke
ascend, and they will say, ‘Where in all the world is there another city like
this?’ 19 And they will throw dust on
their heads to show their great sorrow. And they will say, ‘How terrible, how
terrible for the great city! She made us all rich from her great wealth. And
now in a single hour it is all gone.’”
As John
continues recording this lament over the destruction of Babylon he writes about
the merchants of the city who are mournful because of the loss of their
businesses and the loss of what they say is such a great city, but it was more
than a city to them, it was their life, and it was sinful because of all of the
evil that this city represents.
Next the
ship owners and crews onboard their ships begin their lament because there will
be nowhere to take their cargo. They
stand at a distance and watch the smoke of the destroyed city climb into the
air, knowing that it is completely destroyed.
From the
great to the small they all lament over the destruction of this city which
represents a type of religion to them which is actually an idol, something to
replace the God of heaven who created and own all that is on planet earth, and
they will not recognize this truth, and will thus perish along with their
idol.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: This entire section of Revelation has shown
me, through the teaching of the Holy Spirit, which I am to hold onto the things
that are real and meaningful in this life that God has given me and to whom I
owe everything too. It has also shown me
that it is really easy if I am not careful to fall into the trap of having
things own me, and having things become an idol to me that will replace my
worship and adoration of the Lord. The
things that John is describing in these verses is a system, and it is a system
that is anti-God, and it is a system which demands worship, so therefore it is
an evil and corrupt system, which I as a believer must learn to stay away from
if I want to be pleasing to the Lord. It
is not so much a matter of how many things that the Lord has entrusted me with
on my stay on planet earth that matter, as long as those things that God has
entrusted me with do not become my life, which is the reason why these people
described in these verses are lamenting.
God’s Word allows me to see things in the correct perspective, and
brings meaningfulness to my life.
The Word of God has brought conviction to my heart as I read
and studied it this morning.
My Steps of Faith
Today: That the Holy Spirit of God
will continue to weed out the sinfulness in my life, and teach me and enable me
to get the proper perspective on “things” as He leads me through this trial
that I am in.
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