It may be that, like the apostle John, you know Jesus Christ intimately. Yet when He suddenly appears to you with totally unfamiliar characteristics, the only thing you can do is fall “at His feet as dead” (Revelation 1:17). There are times when God cannot reveal Himself in any other way than in His majesty, and it is the awesomeness of the vision which brings you to the delight of despair. You experience this joy in hopelessness, realizing that if you are ever to be raised up it must be by the hand of God.
“He laid His right hand on me…” (1:17). In the midst of the awesomeness, a touch comes, and you know it is the right hand of Jesus Christ. You know it is not the hand of restraint, correction, nor chastisement, but the right hand of the Everlasting Father. Whenever His hand is laid upon you, it gives inexpressible peace and comfort, and the sense that “underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27), full of support, provision, comfort, and strength. And once His touch comes, nothing at all can throw you into fear again. In the midst of all His ascended glory, the Lord Jesus comes to speak to an insignificant disciple, saying, “Do not be afraid” (Revelation 1:17). His tenderness is inexpressibly sweet.
~Oswald Chambers
1 Peter 1:3-9 (NIV)
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- Praise be to the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hopethrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
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- and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you,
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- who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
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- In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
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- These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
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- Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
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- for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
(c) 2016 Leighann Marquiss
Comments (5)
Very NICE, its a great reminder.
Thank you for posting this. It has come at a very good time in my life. God is always good to us and this is just a reminder of who he is.
Thank you so much for posting this Leighann! Just what I needed to hear today! love ya! 🙂
I don’t know that I’ve ever commented on your blog before, but I’ve been reading it for a while. This post of your tonight touched me in a way that I know my words will not do justice. I have a 6 1/2 year old son who had to have brain surgery in august 2008. We found out two weeks ago that he needed another surgery. This time on his lower back for another neurological issue. I keep finding myself searching and searching for His words to hold onto. This post really was what I needed to hear tonight.
I *love* Oswald Chambers!
And I don’t know where I would be if God’s righteous right hand wasn’t holding me up!