[The following devotional is a part of our 2015 Easter Season Devotional Book “Passion Road.” We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between February 18 – April 5, 2014.]
I’ll Go Anywhere With Him by Mark Robinson
Read: Revelation 1:12-18
Several years ago, I had the chance to go to Alaska and fly into the Misty Fjords National Monument for an afternoon of fishing. As I prepared to go on this trip, I was more than excited . . . I was scared. I was scared because I have a love/hate relationship with bears. I love to see them, I would hate to be eaten by one . . . and as I prepared to board the plane, this dichotomy was in full effect. I had heard that Alaskan grizzly bears were almost always seen where we were going, and we should “watch our backs.” My feelings about bears just moved from love/hate, to fear/paranoia.
I was fully shaking in my waders when up walked our guide for the day. His name was Dan, but I prefer to call him “Big Dan.” Big Dan was a former police officer, former fire fighter, and I am pretty sure, a former WWE wrestler. Big Dan stood about 6’3” and tipped the scales at a cool 250 pounds. Big Dan had spent half his life fishing summers in Alaska, and had routinely taken groups just like ours up into the Fjords. Big Dan had the manliest goatee I have ever seen, as it raised off his face a good six inches, and was a salt and pepper mixture of brown and grey. To top off the image, Big Dan was carrying the largest rifle I have ever seen. The bullets he put into that gun felt like cannon balls, and Dan looked as though he knew how to use it. As I stood on that dock waiting to board that plane, my thought was simple, if Big Dan is going to the Fjords, I will gladly go with HIM! Actually, I would go anywhere with HIM!
As we look at our lives, there are plenty of things we might be afraid of (illnesses, personal struggles, relational conflict, change). Though, we may be scared, there is encouragement for us found on the pages of the book of Revelation. To the beleaguered church of the first century, God wanted to remind them of who Jesus really was, and that He was still in charge.
To a confused church in the 21st century, we also can learn a lot by looking at the portrait painted of Jesus Christ in Revelation 1:12-18. Our most common image of Christ is either one of a baby (who we feel we need to protect — that we remember at Christmas), or a dying bloody body (who we want to pity — as we celebrate Easter.) Though these images were certainly a part of Christ’s life on earth, His current state is one which need not be protected or pitied. The picture painted for us of Christ in Revelation is of the Mighty Lord. Though the picture of Christ in this passage is awe-inspiring, He tells us not to fear. When you have conquered death and evil, what is there to fear? When I see this image of Christ, I am reminded of one thought . . . I will go anywhere WITH HIM!
Questions:
- What are you facing in your life right now that is causing you to fear?
- How does remembering that Jesus is with you encourage you in life?
Prayer:
- Pray and ask God for courage in your life because Jesus is with you.