Today, the Angel in Revelation comes on rather intense, “Wake up; put some resolve into what little vigour you have left: it is dying fast…” (Rev 3:2). Is my vigour dying as I lock down and mask up? The Lord is calling for resolve, or conviction, to enliven my ambitions, but even they seem to be on hold during this pandemic. Then the Angel encourages us to reach for our anchors, “Remember how you first heard the message. Hold on to that. (Rev. 3:3). Can you imagine what it feels like for God when we first recognize Him? Each of us might reflect on how we felt when we first ‘heard the message’ but take another minute to meditate on how God might have felt when you recognized Him for the first time. Excited, or proud, or thankful? Surely, He choked up with tears of joy at our love connection. He still feels that way every time we connect, but do I? Is this where my vigor lacks resolve? The Angel in Revelation encourages us to think back to our early “connections” when we first heard the message, and hold onto that, trusting in God’s love for us.
Imagine being Zacchaeus up in the tree. You have a good job, you are making good money, you are respected and trusted by the officials to represent them as a “senior tax collector.” Pretty good gig, but what does this Jesus have that inspires all these people following him around Jericho? Then your eyes connect, He sees you! Wait, He is saying something and looking directly at you…He is coming to dinner at your house! Recognizing this blessing, you scramble down the tree and quickly explain that it is all different now…this time you are honestly up for a change, for a more effective sharing of your material possessions and wealth, and definitely no more cheating or exorbitant mark-ups. Feel the inspiration coming from His eyes! You “resolve” to change in ways that make your dinner table a suitable place for this all-loving Man~God!
Today’s Psalm (Ps. 15:2-3, 3-4, 5) gives us tools with which to maintain our vigorous resolve: Living blamelessly, acting uprightly, speaking the truth from our heart, yet keeping our tongue (and Tweets) under control so as not to discredit our neighbor. When we watch the news and see rioters and so many strangely angered people, let us pray to their Guardian Angels, asking them to intervene and calm their troubled souls. As people of faith, let us resolve to reinvigorate our lives with a steady commitment to “hold on” to our first memories of hearing the message. Let us keep our gaze on the eyes of Christ as He sees us and understands us, right here, right now, right where we are. Let us hold steady with our anchors of truth, because “no one who so acts, can ever be shaken.”
