“The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.” Revelation 8:7
When people think of the End Times as described in the book of Revelation, the focus is often on the doom and destruction. It’s hard to read a verse like Revelation 8:7–about a hail of fire and blood that burns up a third of the earth, a third of its trees and all healthy grass–and not feel fearful.
But look at the verse again. And look at the verses that come after it [Revelation 8:7-12].
…a third of the earth
…a third of the trees
…a third of the sea
…a third of the sea creatures
…a third of the ships
…a third of the waters
…a third of the sun and moon and stars
Do you see the mercy? If God truly wanted retribution, why not just fully destroy? Why not just wipe people from the face of the planet? He is more than capable of it. Just ask Noah [Genesis 6:9-9:17].
But look at the Divine Restraint in the so-called judgments of Revelation. Two-thirds of all these things remain. Why? Because so great is God’s love for human kind that He doesn’t desire any to perish [2 Peter 3:9]. So great is His love for us that He sent His One and Only Son to die for our sins so that every one of us could be reconciled to God and have life eternal [John 3;16-17].
When we see a pandemic like Coronavirus burning through the world, we tend to blame God for the loss of so many lives. But underlying the accusation is the fact that we daily take for granted millions and billions of God’s mercies.
Everyday, just over 7.5 billion people miraculously wake up with the breath of life in their lungs. And everyday just over 7.5 billion people return to their beds to rest. That in itself is miraculous!
That’s more than 15 billion mercies from God’s hand in one day without counting the millions and billions more that come in the hours between waking and sleeping.
How many tragic accidents are averted? How many near death experiences? How many crimes thwarted? How many life-giving miracles meted out? How many prayers of provision answered? All without most of us ever acknowledging that God is responsible for these mercies! Why?
Because God’s mercy rarely makes the news.
Who reports on the goodness of an uncommitted crime? Who gives God praise for the houses that are not burned down or swept up in a tornado? Who blesses God for the goodness of more than 250 new lives being born on the planet every minute of every day? And who gives God the glory for, not just positioning the earth in just the right place in the universe to sustain life, but holding it there every minute of every hour?
Fear. Is. A. Liar. And it wants us to blame God for our finite ability to preserve ourselves.
Let us lift our eyes to the Lord our help, our God and our salvation [Psalm 27 & 121]. Let us think on all of His million billion daily mercies so that His peace, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds from blaming Him for the repercussions of our congenital finiteness or worse, denying His existence because of them [Philippians 4:7-8].
Have you thanked God for the millions of mercies in your life today?
KCS
Generation Heroes 