Revelation 21:9-27. Measuring.
The Holy City ampldquocoming down out of heaven from Godamprdquo (11) is not my idea of a bride, the ampldquowife of the Lambamprdquo (10). It doesnamprsquot look anything like a bride that a man would expect. A heavenly city of gold, pearl gates and jewelled foundations is totally unexpected, even unnatural, which, as C.S. Lewis says, makes it all the more likely that its description is the true word of God because no human would think up something like that, underlining the fact that the mind of God is impossible to comprehend.
What is the Lord telling me on this day with this reading of the strangest of all brides? Because Paul in his letter refers to the Church as the bride of Christ, I am not unprepared to see something of myself in this description, and I find it in the angelamprsquos hands: ampldquoThe angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the cityamprdquo (15).
Since I am part of the Church as a believer in Jesus, then I am he who is being measured with the ampldquorod of goldamprdquo and the measuring rod is the Lordamprsquos word, and what is being measured is not my height and weight but my heart and my soul and my actions.
How did I do today? Not well. Iamprsquom tired and I didnamprsquot want to drive in Chuseok traffic to Yangpyeong to look at our house with church friends. I enjoy their company and I looked forward to being with them, but in my heart I grumbled selfishly about the trouble of it all. When we finally got there, I didnamprsquot pray with them, not for their health and not for Godamprsquos guidance in what to do about our house and our repentance over it.
When one of our friends told us the plan for the day beyond relaxing at our house for a couple of hours, I grumbled in my heart again. I didnamprsquot want to drive to a park to walk when we could walk around the neighbourhood of our house. I didnamprsquot want to drive even further to a ampldquofamousamprdquo cafe when there was a nice one just a fifteen minute walk from our house. I let my grumbling attitude get in the way of my pleasure in my friendsamprsquo company and hearing Godamprsquos message for them and for me. I didnamprsquot measure up well.
I got a chance to repent later when my wife told me that the mother of a depressed young man living in England would call me to ask what to do. In the middle of writing up my QT, I took the call, shared my story, and prayed for her on the phone. A better measurement. But on balance, the day showed me more sinful than serving the Lord.
Application: write to the depressed young man with Godamprsquos message of hope.
Lord, let me be measured daily by your rod of gold so that I can see my sins and call to you for forgiveness and the desire to do better.
