Listen to today’s devo!

Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen! (Rev. 7:12)

If you are a parent, you know that one of the joys of parenting is watching the unique personalities of your children emerge. From the first twenty-four hours of their existence in the hospital, our first and second sons were as different as hot and cold. Over time, it has been an adventure to watch them discover their unique preferences and abilities. When our second child was five years old, I learned that he needed to know our schedule for the day. Our other two were go-with-the-flow children, but he always wanted to know the plan. Over time, the picture of who they are has become clearer to me, the outside observer.

Many aspects of God’s character are incomprehensible to us, but passages like these, in Revelation, give us glimpses into who he is and how much he loves us. Just like the characteristics of our children emerge over time, God reveals himself to us gradually. In this passage, a great multitude of people celebrated in his presence. He is a shepherd, protector, healer, and cleanser of sins and shame. Dancing, singing, and pure joy surround him. The image is not of an emperor God who demands servitude and sacrificial labor. The holy glimpses John saw in his vision show a God who inspires continuous and perfect praise and thanksgiving.

Keep praying and watching for God to reveal himself to you.

Erin Crisp is mom to three teenage boys, wife to a Wesleyan pastor, and vice president at an EdTech company. Erin loves to learn and to create meaningful learning experiences for others through teaching, designing, and consulting.

© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.