Have you ever struggled to find the words to describe something you have seen?  Something you are trying to convey as vitally important?  Express your heartfelt love, thanksgiving, appreciation, or sorrow?  Me too!    This is the apostle John’s problem.  He has experienced much since the crucifixion of Christ.  John is now an old man in exile on the island of Patmos.  Alone.  Patmos:  A small treeless and rocky island, only thirteen square miles of hardened lava, in sight of Turkey in the crystal blue waters of the Aegean Sea.  A Roman prison colony.  Tradition says John wrote the Revelation of Christ in a cave.  Scripture tells us he received the revelation here on the isle of Patmos.   He is struggling for the words to describe a vision not only of the glorified Christ but of all that is coming.  Trying to find words, images, and experiences that are familiar to explain the unexplainable.

Have you ever witnessed something that made you want to collapse or caused you to collapse?  Fear gripped your heart and your mind went to mush?  Read Revelation 1:10-16.  Remember John has seen the resurrected Christ.  He watched Jesus ascend into Heaven.  Yet, what John is seeing is causing Him to fall at the feet of Jesus “as dead.”  In other words, he passed out!  He fainted.  He was “scared to death.”  Try as they might, no illustrator even comes close to capturing this image of the King of Kings in all His glory with sword for a tongue, stars in His hands and candles at His feet, arrayed in light.

Jesus lays His right hand (Feb, 1st Our God is Right Handed and Feb. 3rd Daddy Holds Your Right Hand) on John and speaks the sweetest words He has ever heard:  “Fear Not, I have the keys back!”  Let that sink in for a minute.  Jesus has the key to your prison cell in hell and your death certificate.   Satan is defeated.  The Only ONE who has overcome both hell and death is Worthy of praise and able to say, “fear not.”  Jesus is reminding John, of all he has seen and experienced prior to this day to encourage John for what he is about to see will be even more difficult to comprehend!  Jesus is assuring John of His TOTAL control over all that has happened and will happen.  Jesus very appearance commands attention and proves His absolute authority:  regally dressed and fully in charge of heaven and earth, judging and ruling.  He is speaking and all fall silent.

Are you finding yourself fearful of the present or the future?  Do you know this Jesus?  He died for you.  Let this wash over you like a warm wave.  Ride the surf to the shore and fall at His feet.  See the scars!  They are there for all to see ETERNALLY!  Accept His grace.  Receive His gift of salvation.  Hear His Words:  “Fear not!  I have your keys.  I have the future under control.  Trust me.  I love you.”

Let Him meet you where you are.  Feel His gentle right hand…………..

Written in Red  by Janet Paschal

At His feet on the shore,

Yvonne