Do you ever have one of those days when you feel like you're dangling from a rope and the wind's blowing you around against a rock face, scrabbling to find yourself a grip?
Come on, that might seem a bit poetic, but I'm sure it sounds a bit like what we feel like from time to time!
The verse in our Thought for the Day comes from the early chapters of the last book in the Bible, the Book of Revelation, which goes on to be a bit like sci-fi on steroids ... but it was written like that to protect persecuted believers who could be in an awful lot more trouble if their book fell into their persecutors hands. There's a lot of imagery and jargon the insiders were in on ... but our verse comes from the earlier plainer part of the book.
This message is written to the suffering church at Philadelphia and John (who writes it on behalf of God) has nothing but encouragement to give them.
His message is simple: 'I know you've had a battering and are feeling very weak, but look ... God knows all about it and He's sorting this out but for the moment you just need to hold on!
Hold on!
Well, WHY do they need to hold on?
Well, firstly
because they're being pushed around
... by some very heavy sounding dudes:
" I am going to make those people from the synagogue of Satan
—who say they are Jews yet are not, but are lying—
Look, I will make them come and bow down at your feet
and acknowledge that I have loved you."
We don't know what they were suffering, but it certainly doesn't sound very good.
Why should they hold on?
Secondly,
because God had the matter in hand
... He always does, but it's very nice to get reassurance!
Then thirdly,
because it was going to be worth it:
"Hold on to what you have so that no one can take away your crown."
Revelation 3:11
It seems the 'crown' was a laurel wreath which served as the medal of old world athletes who fought hard, held on and won their race ... but there's a development of that idea in what else is promised to those who hold on in their faithfulness to God:
Why were they getting this reassurance?
"I know that you have little strength, but you have obeyed my word and have not denied my name."
Revelation 3:8
The Point
God knew all they were going through, and how they'd persevered through it faithfully.
He comes through and turns up for people like that.
The Takeaway
So the takeaway from that is simple and clear.
For the faithful, life can be tough, just as earthly life was for the Lord. but he sees and knows and will come through for His own ... relief may be a while coming but it's coming, and when it does we will see that it's WORTH it.
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