TUESDAY
For the two weeks of the campaign, I want to emphasize worship in the devotional. Revelation is full of worship. I believe John received these visions and shared them as he did because he knew if Christians were to be faithful, allegiant, prophetic witnesses for Jesus in the shadow of empire, they needed to be worshippers. They needed to have this glorious picture of the exalted Christ and worship him as such to resist the counterfeit glory of the empire.
So, for these two weeks I am going to look at some texts that reveal the glory of God. Most of these will be texts referenced in Revelation that I didn’t have time to explore thoroughly. I am doing this with the sole intent of expanding your vision of God and his glory so that you will deepen your worship of Him. The application after each day’s devotional will be the same—worship God in light of his majesty revealed in this text.
Luke 1:46–55 (NIV)
Mary’s Song
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
Luke 1:67–79 (NIV)
Zechariah’s Song
67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”