We live in fearful times and the world has possibly never seen a time like this before. Historians will even point you to past worldly things, but these things seem to be happening on a greater scale and frequency. We see the signs of the times (war, social conflict, up evil, famines, pestilences, diseases that we even experience now, a falling away from the truth even in an evangelical church world that tears the very scriptures from its binding.) Even whiles discussing these things with a Christian the other day it was said "It's ok...I know the end game." The Lord is the beginning and the ending of ALL things.
Present uncertainty: We live in troublous and fearful times. This world is full of uncertainty. Nation is against nation, there are upheavals in society with no love for the truth anymore and things we would normally not discuss even. The foundation is shaken and we see and hear about scandal after scandal with the truth being a fallacy. There are things we shield our children from and we sometimes fear as the world itself is fearful. Everything is uncertain and in upheaval. We too are talking about the same things that the world does.....
Eternal stability: Revelation is a history of the churches who God speaks words of comfort to. Here in chapter one you find a salutation (verses 4-6.) God's blessing to the church who has grace and peace. We also read this salutation at the end of Revelation the letter that comes to us. You read here: I am "A" the first letter of the Greek alphabet and "Z" the last letter of the Greek alphabet and the verb to be "I AM." When we say "I am" we are already a "has been" in time while God IS ALWAYS "I AM." Moses had to tell the people God was the verb to be "I am that I am!" His word stands today as it did back then to Abraham: "I will be a God unto you and unto your children." He is ALWAYS the beginning and the ending. The God who was, the God who is, and the God who will come! Not just a reference to time as even the world asks is there even a God. He speaks and says "I AM!" Apart from all things (the world and universe) He exists and even apart from His workings in all of history "I AM." I WAS (creation he was there) and HE IS (all the events of history and everything in between) and I AM (the ending as He gives all of history and brings it to the heavenly creation! And He has come and put His stamp of ownership upon us and He IS the great I AM who will come again as ALL THINGS find root in the LIVING GOD! It ALL belongs to His power, His glory, and is the acting of the LIVING GOD!
Un-surpassing peace: This we know among the many things we cannot make sense of.....He IS the great I AM and ALL things must be approached as such in this world here. This is the reality and the certainty! The church receives the salutation, the word, and the benediction "grace and peace be unto you my children!" The love of God to us in Christ. It IS all the grace of our God to us!
May we all in very uncertain times press this to our heart to cover all of our insecurities so we may then have peace. Peach which was purchased for us in the blood of the Lamb.