And I saw, and behold, the Lamb already standing on Mount Zion, and with Him are 144,000 having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound out of heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of massive thunder. And the sound which I heard was like the sound of harpers harping with their harps. Rev. 14:1, 2.
The chief characteristic of the 144,000 in today's passage is that they are a people in close contact with Jesus. They follow Him wherever He goes and have His name written on their foreheads, which means that they align their characters with His. In every way possible they seek to become like Him.
I have a friend who accepted an invitation to teach practical ministry at the Adventist graduate school in the Philippines. No sooner had he arrived in the Philippines than he began to take long bike rides through the beautiful countryside. The back roads wind through tropical jungles, open grasslands, and small towns.
Since the weather is almost always pleasant in the Philippines, he constantly sees the hospitable Filipino people hanging about outdoors, ready to greet anything and everyone that passes by. He imagines that he presents quite a sight to people. After all, the appearance of a rather tall White American lumbering up the road is an event to notice and remark upon. Almost everyone he meets will yell out one of two phrases: "Hello, Joe!" or "Where are you going?"
The "Hello, Joe!" greeting is a holdover from World War II when the GI "Joes" were in abundance in the Philippines. The "Where are you going?" greeting is far harder to respond to, because, unlike most Filipinos, Jim is not biking around to go anywhere in particular--he is out for the exercise and the fresh air. Not having a map of the area, he ends up taking whatever side road comes along in order to see what adventure it might hold. Since he really doesn't know where he is going, he generally responds to the question by shouting, "I don't know!"
Do you know where you are going with your life? Or do you think it doesn't matter so long as you just trust God? Yes, God certainly calls upon us to trust Him at every step, but this does not preclude us from making careful and concrete plans about our future that He can then bless or redirect. Not knowing where you are going on a bike ride is one thing. Leaving life to chance is another.
Lord, I'm grateful that You have provided a map for my life in the Bible. Beginning today, help me to pay it much closer attention.
The chief characteristic of the 144,000 in today's passage is that they are a people in close contact with Jesus. They follow Him wherever He goes and have His name written on their foreheads, which means that they align their characters with His. In every way possible they seek to become like Him.
I have a friend who accepted an invitation to teach practical ministry at the Adventist graduate school in the Philippines. No sooner had he arrived in the Philippines than he began to take long bike rides through the beautiful countryside. The back roads wind through tropical jungles, open grasslands, and small towns.
Since the weather is almost always pleasant in the Philippines, he constantly sees the hospitable Filipino people hanging about outdoors, ready to greet anything and everyone that passes by. He imagines that he presents quite a sight to people. After all, the appearance of a rather tall White American lumbering up the road is an event to notice and remark upon. Almost everyone he meets will yell out one of two phrases: "Hello, Joe!" or "Where are you going?"
The "Hello, Joe!" greeting is a holdover from World War II when the GI "Joes" were in abundance in the Philippines. The "Where are you going?" greeting is far harder to respond to, because, unlike most Filipinos, Jim is not biking around to go anywhere in particular--he is out for the exercise and the fresh air. Not having a map of the area, he ends up taking whatever side road comes along in order to see what adventure it might hold. Since he really doesn't know where he is going, he generally responds to the question by shouting, "I don't know!"
Do you know where you are going with your life? Or do you think it doesn't matter so long as you just trust God? Yes, God certainly calls upon us to trust Him at every step, but this does not preclude us from making careful and concrete plans about our future that He can then bless or redirect. Not knowing where you are going on a bike ride is one thing. Leaving life to chance is another.
Lord, I'm grateful that You have provided a map for my life in the Bible. Beginning today, help me to pay it much closer attention.
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