Today, Tuesday January 25
“Then I Turned To See…” Revelation 1:12-14 “Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire.”
John was in exile on the Isle of Patmos and this is where God gives him the commission to write a book which becomes the last book of the Bible! As John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, he heard “a loud voice, as of a trumpet.” Before John even gets a chance to turn, the Voice tells him write about what he is about to see and send it to the seven churches in Asia.
John “turned to see the voice that spoke” to him. I love the language of the Bible as we think back to the first reference to a voice in the Bible. In Genesis 3, right after Adam and Eve disobeyed God and committed the very first sin in the human race, we read these words: “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." (Genesis 3:8-10)
In the first book of the Bible, when Adam hears the voice of God, he hides himself! He is ashamed because of his disobedience and his sin! But in the last book of Bible, when John hears the voice of God, he turns to see the voice! Why? Because the sin barrier between God and man has been torn down with the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary! John doesn’t have to be ashamed and hide himself! He knew he was forgiven and there was nothing between himself and God! Remember John had already written 1 John 1 & 2.
The reason so many of us don’t want to read our Bibles, or desire to spend time in prayer with the Lord, is because we have unconfessed sin in our lives and we are trying to “hide from God.” How sad! Too many of us today hear the “Voice of God” in a song, in a message, or in an incident where God is speaking loudly trying to get our attention, and instead of turning from our sin and pride, we try to run and hide from God!
In the first chapter of the Gospel of John we are introduced to Jesus by John the Baptist where is he is baptizing at the Jordan River. John and Andrew observed the baptism of Jesus and heard the voice of John the Baptist proclaim, “Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world…” (John 1:29). They started following Jesus and they ask Him where He was staying. And then they heard the Voice of Jesus replied, “Come and see”! The first two recorded statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John are: “What do you seek?” and “Come and see.”
The first statement of Jesus was a question: “What do you seek?” Do you know what you are looking for in life? Do you know where you are going in life? The second statement of Jesus was an invitation: “Come and see!” It is no wonder why John in Revelation 1:12 said, “I turned to see the Voice….”! John recognized that Voice and knew he had an open invitation to come and see!
Today, don’t run from God! God is seeking you and wants to have a relationship with you! God want you to seek Him! Turn from your pride and sin and come to Jesus today and you will hear His Voice of love and forgiveness!
God bless!
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