Resilient – A Revelation Daily Devotional
Resilient Church
Daily Devotional Introduction
Read or listen to the audio version of the Daily Devotional.
Welcome to this journey through the book of Revelation. I’m excited you’ve chosen to take this first step, and I understand that we begin with a wide range of emotions. Some may share my exuberance, others may be skeptical, some may doubt their own adequacy, and others may feel confident based on past studies or knowledge. Whatever brought you here, and whatever you’re feeling as we begin this seven-week journey, please know that I’ve prayed for you. I’ve prayed that this study will strengthen your confidence in Christ’s work on your behalf, provide courage to live out your faith with a ferocity you may not have thought possible, and deepen your affection and longing for Christ in your life and in the life of the Christian church.
I want to be clear about our goals in this endeavor. If your primary focus is solely on gaining deeper knowledge or predicting the “end times,” you’re likely to find yourself frustrated and unfulfilled. However, if you’re asking God to reveal more of His grace and beauty as you study John’s letter, “Revelation,” we share that same prayer and longing. Let’s take a moment to highlight how the structure of this devotional supports these foundational goals.
First, we will spend time reading God’s Word. We’ll walk through this book verse by verse, seeking to understand what this nearly 2,000-year-old literary work communicated to its original audience and what it means for us today. We will be careful not to overemphasize or underemphasize either of these interpretive perspectives. It’s essential that, as we read with a modern eye, we don’t allow this book to say something to us that it didn’t say to the original audience. This is a dangerous interpretive leap and can have disastrous effects on our comprehension of what may already feel like is an incomprehensible work.
This time in God’s Word should create space for us to reflect and grow in our understanding of God’s identity. Who is He? As we joyfully wrestle with this question, we’ll gain a clearer perspective on our own identity. This loving, personal pursuit is the motivation behind studying this complex text. The more successful we are, the more likely we are to strengthen our faith and be inspired to Gospel-oriented action. We are not primarily seeking knowledge for its own sake, but rather knowledge that softens our hearts to the Gospel and inspires us to move forward in action.
The traditional method of interacting with biblical texts is through exegesis. This discipline calls the reader to examine many factors behind the text itself: authorial intent, cultural background, linguistic translation, and more. All of these should be considered to render an accurate interpretation of any ancient text, especially Scripture. A full exegetical unpacking of a passage requires time, resources, and is best done within a community. I mention this to emphasize that we will not fully exegetically unpack Revelation in this seven-week devotional. This noble task is certainly worthwhile, and there are numerous resources available online and in bookstores to assist with that endeavor. The goal of this verse-by-verse approach to John’s work is to support our journey this summer to learn how we can “Belong” to a Resilient Church. We will strive to view the text with as much interpretive integrity as possible, but this is our primary lens.
After each daily reading, you’ll be able to review what we’ve identified as the central theme of that portion of the text as it relates to our specific focus: What does the passage say or call us to that allows us to be more resilient in our faith as we seek to build a resilient family of faith? Again, these thoughts are not comprehensive; rather, they are intended to encourage reflective thought that ultimately leads to a prayerful spirit.
Each day will conclude with a one-sentence call to prayer. This singular thought is not merely for reading, but rather a launching point for your conversation with God. Resilient faith is always anchored to a deepening relationship with God, the subject of that faith. It’s significant that Jesus’ disciples’ primary request was for Him to teach them to pray. It’s in these quiet moments with the sovereign God of the universe that the words on the pages of our Bibles most often catalyze transformative work.
This is where we’re heading over the next several weeks. Don’t be discouraged if you fall behind. Be encouraged in this pursuit. We are praying for you. We are trusting God to move. We are praying that His Spirit will do a mighty work in our lives as we read and pray together.
Let’s begin where John ended: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. Revelation 22:21.”