Weep – Praying Pint

40.e. “But we do not want you to be uninformed”

Genesis 50:1 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

Genesis 23:2     And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

Mark 5:38-39    They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.

John 11:35-36     Jesus wept.  So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

Acts 8:2     Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.

1 Thessalonians 4:13     But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

Though pious relatives and friends have lived to a good old age, and we are confident they are gone to glory, yet we may regret our own loss, and pay respect to their memory by lamenting them. Grace does not destroy, but it purifies, moderates, and regulates natural affection. The departed soul is out of the reach of any tokens of our affection; but it is proper to show respect to the body, of which we look for a glorious and joyful resurrection, whatever may become of its remains in this world. Thus Joseph showed his faith in God, and love to his father. He ordered the body to be embalmed, or wrapped up with spices, to preserve it. (Henry)

With the loss of a sibling, parent, spouse, or child there are so many emotions that flood our hearts and minds. None of these ever reach the ear of the departed. None of these emotions of loss, love, sorrow, and heartache will be heard by those departed. It is natural to mourn the loss of a loved one or to mourn with a friend who has lost a loved one. Many times our sorrow in their death is because we have left some things unsaid or undone. Maybe we haven’t communicated to them just how much they meant to us or how much they have influenced our lives. We may have had hopes for their lives. We mourn and it is natural. The loss of a loved one hurts our heart. Nothing could hurt the heart more than a loved one who dies not knowing or committing to God’s love, grace, and mercy through Jesus Christ. Let it be our goal to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we say, think, and do, and when our time on earth is complete and there is mourning for our passing, let it be short-lived and turned into rejoicing and praise because we have passed from death to life with our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

31.i. “Keep your life free from love of money”

Matthew 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Psalms 39:6    Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

1 John 2:15-16   Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

Proverbs 11:4   Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

James 5:1-3   Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.  Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.

Proverbs 23:5   When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.

Ecclesiastes 2:26    For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 5:10-14    He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.

Zephaniah 1:18    Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD

Hebrews 13:5    Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

The idea is that earthly treasure is temporary and fading away (where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal), but heavenly treasure is secure. The issue isn’t that earthly treasures are intrinsically bad, but they are of no ultimate value either. If this is the case, then it is wrong for the disciple of Jesus to dedicate his life to continually expanding his earthly treasures.

“The Master does not say it is wrong to possess earthly treasure. He does say it is wrong to lay it up for self. We are to hold it as stewards.” (Morgan)

To lay up for yourselves treasure on earth is also to doom yourself to a life of frustration and emptiness. Regarding material things the secret to happiness is not more, it is contentment. How many wealthy people have died at their own hands because they found no pleasure from the wealth of what they accumulated? There is no lasting satisfaction from wealth. It is here today and gone tomorrow, or we are. In contrast, heavenly treasures are everlasting and incorruptible. Treasures in heaven give enjoyment now, in the contentment and sense of well-being that comes from being a giver. But their ultimate enjoyment comes on the other side of eternity. It has been wisely observed that a moving truck full of possessions never follows a hearse. Everything one might take with them to the world beyond is left behind and we can use our material resources right now for eternal good – even though we can’t bring them with us. Our material treasures will not pass from this life to the next, but the good that has been done for the kingdom of God through the use of our treasures lasts for eternity, and the work God does in us through faithful giving will last for eternity. (Guzik)

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”

30.q. “Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!”

Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Luke 6:25    “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

Psalm 13:1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?  How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

Psalms 30:7-11    Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!” You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

Isaiah 30:19   For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you.

Zechariah 12:10-14    “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

2 Corinthians 1:4-7   who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Revelation 21:4   He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

There two kinds of situations by which we will mourn. We will mourn over the loss of something we love and we will mourn over our sin in the light of Jesus Christ and His grace, mercy, glory, and honor. We can mourn over the loss of our freedom, loss of a loved one, loss of a job, loss of financial stability, loss of position, loss of authority, etc… We mourn over something we once had and now do not. This is worldly mourning and for the most part it is temporal and just integrated into life this side of eternity. All of this mourning is based on love of a current state, relationship, or person, but may also include pride. Anyone with a heart will mourn, at times, throughout their lives. It is a natural response. Mourning should not be our destination but rather a path. This path can and should lead us into trust, reliance, and comfort that is only found in and through Jesus Christ.

There is another kind of mourning. It is so deep, hurtful, and overwhelming. It is the mourning that arises out of the understanding and knowledge of our personal sinful nature and God’s holiness. When we are given glimpses of God’s holiness and our sinfulness, we are or should be, overwhelmed with mourning our condition. We are overwhelmed because we now understand our sinfulness in the light of holiness. We understand, on our own, we are without hope. Our sin seems to be so great, in the light of holiness, that there is nothing we can do to wipe it away. This is true. There is nothing we can do to wipe away our sin. We should be mournful. Our heart should ache. Our soul should weep. But glory to God this is not how this type of mourning will last.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”

“I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.”

“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”

Seeing our sin in the light of God’s glory and grace should lead us to mourn deeply, but this path of mourning should lead us to trust, obedience, reliance, and faith in Jesus Christ which yields humbleness, thankfulness, hope, joy, comfort, courage, and rejoicing.

30. “Their feet run to evil”

Matthew 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Proverbs 27:3-4 A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.  Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?

Daniel 3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king.

Daniel 3:19  Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated.

2 Kings 8:12   And Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the people of Israel. You will set on fire their fortresses, and you will kill their young men with the sword and dash in pieces their little ones and rip open their pregnant women.”

Proverbs 28:15   Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

Isaiah 59:7   Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways.

We never understand the minds of those who carry out very wicked acts of violence. It is if they have no regard for others or the pain they are causing. Across history, there have been leaders and individuals who give no thought to the lives they are destroying. It is as if their hearts and minds have been incased and filled with hatred, anger, and unyielding fury. There is no compassion or love other than for fulfilling the destructive desire of their deep-rooted anger. Pride, selfishness, and self-worth drive them. No life has meaning other than theirs. Their acts are cruel. There is no thought of God or the power of God, or judgment of God. They are lost and doing things that the most wicked of the lost do.

We can think we are better than these wicked people and if we used human judgment our conclusion is true, but in the eyes of God, all are lost. The eternal judgment for the lost is all the same – eternal punishment and torment forever and ever. Our human thoughts might say this is not fair, but who are we compared to God, the creator, and author of all there is and all there ever will be. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present, and is full of love, mercy, and grace. All of His judgments are right and true. The lost – those who have not trusted in, relied upon, followed, obeyed, and humbly surrendered to His offer of salvation and redemption – all end up lacking and will be cast into eternal hell. There is no partial ground with which to stand. No reliance upon our own good and good things we have done that will make us right before God, only faith and trust in Jesus Christ. There are no degrees of “lostness” in the eyes of God. Being separated from God has the same end for all without Jesus Christ.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

21.a. “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

We are not to have a hateful attitude towards anyone, not even towards those who persecute us. Jesus spoke of this same heart in Matthew 5:46: For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? The surpassing greatness of the love of Jesus in us is shown in that it can be extended to our enemies. This is how we can fulfill the command to be of the same mind toward one another. It is a simple command to be considerate of the feelings of others instead of waiting for them to be considerate of your feelings. Paul cautions us to have a humble mind-set. In refusing to set our mind on high things and in associating with the humble. We are to love our enemies and treat well those who treat us badly. Living at peace or peaceably with all means that we don’t allow contention to be our first set position or our place of refuge. As far as it is possible within us, we are to have a mindset that chooses peace over hate, anger, retaliation, and separation. Having peace is not always easy. We can be wronged so bad and the hurt so deep that peace seems to be not even an option. And yet, Scripture tells us to be at peace. This peace may be one sided. You may be the only one in peace and the other may still remain in hatred and anger. A holy example of this is when Jesus was hanging on the cross He said, “Father forgive them for they no not what they do” They had just beat, flogged, spit upon, nailed to the cross, and hurled insults at Him, and He says, “Forgive them”. I imagine the love He displayed. Let me finish My work on the cross and offer redemption and salvation to them.

How many families, friendships, and churches, split or dissolve because we choose to not live in peace. Living in harmony requires a mind set on things above and not things below. It requires us not to give anything up but rather to take on (peace) that which honors and glorifies Jesus Christ. Living in peace requires us to humble ourselves and allow whatever wrong has been directed at us to be in the all powerful and mighty hands of God. In this we honor and glorify Jesus Christ. In this we do not seek division or separation or retaliation but rather we have humbly placed it into the hands of God. We never know what the impact of “living in peace” will have on those who do harm or wish to harm us, but we do know God will work all things for the good of those who are called by His name. The next time you find yourself wronged, acknowledge it, acknowledge that you have a human nature response to want to retaliate or get even, and lay those thoughts into the hands of Jesus Christ and choose to allow peace to grow and transform into that which honors and glorifies Him alone. Take no credit for choosing peace but rather give credit to Jesus for pointing you onto the path of peace.

17.e. “But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride;”

John 17:32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

Hebrews 4:15   For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Job 30:25    Did not I weep for him whose day was hard? Was not my soul grieved for the needy?

Psalms 119:136     My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.

Isaiah 53:3   He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief

Jeremiah 13:17     But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride;

Luke 19:41    And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,

The grief and tears of Mary and Martha moved Jesus. God sees the tears of the grief-stricken and is moved with compassion. Jesus sees our tears and is touched by our tears. According to Trench, the sense of was troubled is “‘And troubled Himself.’ The phrase is remarkable: deliberately summoned up in Himself the feelings of indignation at the havoc wrought by the evil one, and of tenderness for the mourners.” It means that Jesus wasn’t so much sad at the scene surrounding the tomb of Lazarus. It’s more accurate to say that Jesus was angry. Jesus was angry and troubled at the destruction and power of the great enemy of humanity: death. Jesus would soon break the dominating power of death. “Jesus had humanity in its perfection, and humanity unadulterated is generous and sympathetic.” (Clarke) “He suffered all the innocent infirmities of our nature.” (Spurgeon)

“Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” Spurgeon put it like this; “these words were not helpful to anyone. Spurgeon noted that all this “what if” talking is vain, of no use. “Perhaps the bitterest griefs that men know come not from facts, but from things which might have been, as they imagine; that is to say, they dig wells of supposition, and drink the brackish waters of regret.” “Suppose that Jesus is willing to open the eyes of the blind, and does open them; is he therefore bound to raise this particular dead man? If he does not see fit to do so, does that prove that he has not the power? If he lets Lazarus die, is it proven therefore that he could not have saved his life? May there not be some other reason? Does Omnipotence always exert its power? Does it ever exert all its power?

12.p. “Those who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad.’ Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished.

Zephaniah 1:11 Wail, you who live in the market district; all your merchants will be wiped out, all who trade with silver will be destroyed. At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad.’ Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished. Though they build houses, they will not live in them; though they plant vineyards, they will not drink the wine.” The great day of the Lord is near— near and coming quickly. The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry. That day will be a day of wrath— a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness— a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. “I will bring such distress on all people that they will grope about like those who are blind, because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath.”

James 5:1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.

Revelation 18:14 “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again! The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.” And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?”

Have you ever put your trust in what you have? Trusting your job or position and the income from it. Trusting in your health. Trusting in the economy. Trusting in the safety of your home. Trusting in your finances. Trusting in your education. Trusting in your experience. What if we were to change the word from pridefully trusting to humbly thankful. There is a difference isn’t there? One, our reliance is on what we have and what we can do. The other is faith, trust, and reliance on Jesus Christ, His plan and purpose, His best for our life, His supplying everything that we need, His steadfast love, grace, and mercy, His promises and…… The difference is all in the intentional choices we make one way or the other in our hearts, minds, and souls. This difference will manifest itself in one of two ways. If we are self-reliant, when things happen, trials, troubles, and chaos, we will find a deep-rooted fear, confusion, and lack of peace and rest. We will complain rather than rejoice. We will despair rather than have joy and hope. We will have fear rather than peace. We will have confusion rather than clarity. We will believe lies rather than truth. If we cling to, rely on, and trust in Jesus Christ the opposite will manifest in our lives. Peace and certain steadfast hope that passes all understanding will flow through our entire being. We will not fear tomorrow but rejoice in the Promises of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ. We will see new blessings each day. We will have peace at night for our hope and trust is in Him alone. He is our refuge, strength, courage, power, fortress, and the reason we have no fear or confusion. There is much going on today in our cities, nations, and the world. Media outlets are vomiting up narratives of fear and danger. People are buying into these lies because they reject the peace that only Jesus Christ can bring. Oh that Jesus would open their eyes and ears once more to see and hear the truth. Oh that He would soften hearts to the Gospel and would flood our cities and nation with an overpowering understanding of the need for salvation, redemption, and forgiveness. Oh that He would use each of us to bring this Good News, live this Good News, and proclaim this Good News. Oh that He would remove all fear, confusion, and anxiety from His children and allow them to walk in strength, courage, and power of the Holy Spirit.

9.i. ‘Where is their God?’”

Joel 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, “Spare your people, O Lord, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

The trumpet horn was used to awaken the people as well, to arouse them to get moving. Many places we hear of the trumpet being used to signal the armies into battle. The sound of the trumpet meant; “now we start”, “now we begin”, and for every man to fight with all their strength for their lives and the lives of their families. All of the Jewish people knew that at the sound of the trumpet they all started as one unified unit. Everyone knew their place and what they had to attack or defend. Here we see Joel using the “Trumpet” as a call to urgently gather as one before God and seek His forgiveness and withdrawal of His judgment upon them. The urgency in his prophecy is fully evident. Elders, children, nursing infants, bridegroom, and bride are all to listen and urgently and humbly come before God with pleas of healing their land. Joel had previously called the people to return to God and repent of their disobedience. This call to sound the trumpet seals the call to return and repent with humble repentant hearts. The trumpet call does no good to those who will not react to its sound. It does no good to those who reject the thought of humbly coming before God. It does no good to those who reject the thought of God being in control and can reverse the course of their trials and troubles. But to those who hear the sound and humbly come before God with repentant hearts, they will see His mighty hand at work with renewed hope and trust.

8.g. “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you”

Revelation 18:9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! or in a single hour your judgment has come.”

And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!”

Whether this passage describes the decadence of ancient Rome, Jerusalem, some future city or the materialistic culture in which live, when Babylon perishes the economic chaos is complete. Everything the unbeliever has grasped and valued is ground to powder. The words of Jesus echo in our ears: “Don’t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:19-21).

Matthew Henry makes a keen observation: “What was the cause of their mourning; not their sin, but their punishment. They did not lament their fall into idolatry, and luxury, and persecution, but their fall into ruin – the loss of their traffic and of their wealth and power. The spirit of antichrist is a worldly spirit, and their sorrow is a mere worldly sorrow; they did not lament for the anger of God, that had now fallen upon them, but for the loss of their outward comfort”

Today, we live in a period of extended grace as we await the Lord’s return. Paul seems to think he will see the day when Christ splits the clouds of heaven and comes back to fulfill all things. So do Peter, James, and the writer of Hebrews. Every generation of Christians since the first century has looked longingly into the heavens and asked, “How long, Lord?” And yet there is a purpose in His delay. Paul writes that “God our Savior … wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). And Peter pens these words: “The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Peter follows that up immediately, however, with a reminder that “the Day of the Lord will come like a thief” (v. 10); in other words, when judgment comes, it will come suddenly.

6.o. “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”

Revelation 5:1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

The emphasis is not on the content of the scroll but on its seals and the One who is worthy to take it. John says that he began to weep when no one in heaven or earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. John had just been invited to heaven to see things that must take place, future things. Now he is allowed to see a scroll that must have something to proclaim about the future and no one is worthy to open it. In a moment John went from awe-inspired anticipation to hopelessness and discouragement. He wept at not being able to see and communicate what was to come.

What would our lives be like if we looked at God’s Word with this awe-inspired anticipation? What impact would it have when we read it? Would we trust more, follow, and obey it more? Would we see what is written as God speaking to us personally? Would we see things in this world in a different light?

Come to His Word each day with awe-inspired anticipation and see what God reveals to you. When you come to His word like this God will lead you into a maturity of faith, joy, peace, love, hope, and strength, which will manifest in your life a thousand different ways each and every day.