READING: Zechariah 1-6, Revelation 19
Sometimes I’m surprised by what grabs my attention in the Word. Yet, I recognize at some level how much my heart needs the scalpel of God’s Word.
In today’s New Testament reading, John saw and heard praise toward God. In John’s words, the Lord God almighty reigns, and His bright and pure bride is ready to celebrate. Someone (likely an angel) told John, “Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!’ He also said to me, ‘These words of God are true’” (Rev 19:9). John, overwhelmed by these events, bowed in worship before the angel.
The angel’s response? “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold firmly to the testimony of Jesus” (Rev 19:10). Angels are surely different than we human beings, but all of us are servants of the Most High God. None but He is worthy of our worship.
Thus, here are my personal application questions today:
- Do I ever, by my thoughts or my actions, worship someone or something other than God? I pray I would never do that with intentionality, but I do know the potential wickedness in my heart. If even John the Apostle could fall prey to faulty worship, I, too, could be vulnerable. I suspect all of us are but one step away from disobedience and idolatry.
- If someone were to wrongly worship me, how would I respond? I hope I would echo the words of the angel – “Don’t do that” and “Worship God”— but I again realize how susceptible my heart is to ego. Even things far less than worship (e.g., hearing a student say, “Dr. Lawless is my mentor” or getting good class reviews from my students) can cause pride to rise in my soul. What I need to do is learn to preach the Word to myself in those times, perhaps even saying to myself, “Don’t do that!”
PRAYER: “Father, let me see my idols today. Forgive me.”
DAILY ACTION STEP: Prayerfully determine what/who you tend to worship these days.
TOMORROW’S READING: Zechariah 7-14, Revelation 20-21
