A Loud Voice From The Throne

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God" (Revelation 21:3 NIV).

Did you realize God lives with you? Did you know you are one of His people? Did you know He is with you every instant of your life?

I don’t why, but all too often I forget this glorious truth! A couple of weeks ago I had had a particularly overwhelming day. I was worn out and anxious because I had allowed some unpleasant experiences from my past color my current life. I left work feeling exhausted and discouraged.

Then I went to my women’s covenant group/bible study group. There were so many coincidences about the evening that it could only have been God acting in my life! The entire “theme” of the evening was ‘encouragement’! One sister had decided at the last minute to share a devotional – and the theme was God as an encourager.

The chapter we discussed in our study was about Deborah and her wisdom, but mostly her obedience to God’s will. She obeyed even though it was inconvenient. She obeyed even when it defied convention and tradition. She obeyed God because she knew God would be with her in her obedience.

Then about 20 minutes into our evening, my husband called me, apologetic to disturb us. There was such excitement in his voice as he urged us to go out onto the front porch. The house where we met was just around the corner from ours so he knew we would be able to see what he was looking at: a double rainbow! It was so vivid and clear and beautiful!

We stood gazing at the sky for a few moments, praising God for His mighty works and for His faithfulness. I slept well that night and awoke with a renewed spirit, ready to accomplish whatever God set before me.

[ Comfort for God's People ] "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God" (Isaiah 40:1 NIV).