Devotional:

Have you ever watched a movie and at the end of a scene you think to yourself, “What just happened?” You either rewind and replay to try to make sense of the events, or you turn to someone reliable within reach and ask for help understanding the plot.

That’s probably how John felt in Revelation 10. A magnificent angel appears to him in a vision, speaking loudly and holding an important scroll. When he goes to take notes, he’s told to stop. When he’s handed the scroll, he’s told to eat it. The content of the scroll is never revealed, but what we learn from this exchange is important. It wasn’t time for Jesus’s return, but He would be coming soon. There will be no more delay, and the mystery of God will be accomplished (Revelation 10:6-7).

Throughout history, people have wondered about the end of the world, and God reveals some of that in Revelation. We don’t have all the details about when Jesus will come back or what the afterlife will entail, but God tells us everything we need to know to live for Him now.

Jesus is coming back and we need to be prepared for His return. We can spend our time and energy speculating on details of the afterlife, or we can rest in the knowledge that God’s ways are higher than our ways and that he loves and wants the best for us. John chose the latter. How about you?

Reflect:

• Do you tend to crave details or go with the flow? How do you balance trusting God with the need to know everything?
• Does it give you peace to know that God understands and sees more than we do? Why or why not?
• If Jesus came back today, do you know that you would go to heaven? Why or why not?