Worshiping the Shepherd, the Lamb – Revelation 7:13-17
13 Then one of the twenty-four elders asked me, “Who are these who are clothed in white? Where did they come from?”
14 And I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.”
Then he said to me, “These are the ones who died in[a] the great tribulation.[b] They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.
15 “That is why they stand in front of God’s throne
and serve him day and night in his Temple.
And he who sits on the throne
will give them shelter.
16 They will never again be hungry or thirsty;
they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun.
17 For the Lamb on the throne[c]
will be their Shepherd.
He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.
And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
–Revelation 7:13-17 (NLT)
How might worship be different at the end of the age than it is for us today? I read about the angels and these who are clothed in white praising God day and night and wonder. We get restless sitting in our pews for an hour and struggle with dozing off.
Consider the elders answer to who these dressed in white were – those who died during the tribulation, the ones who have been through the worst scenario of all times yet held tight to their faith in God. They understand fully what it means to trust in God and to find deliverance. How do our struggles compare with what has been promised for the tribulation? Like a drop in a bucket maybe?
Maybe our faltering worship attempts are the result of our persistence in staying in our comfort zones and not stepping out in faith in areas where we must put our trust in God.
Our Shepherd is forever faithful to us. May we be faithful to him with a heart of continual thanksgiving and praise.