REVELATION 18:21-24
Read Revelation 18:21-24.
Imagine a place where there is no music. No musical instruments. No one to play them even if there were. No whistling. No TV jingles. No radios. No humming.
Imagine a place where there were no workers. Nothing to create. Nothing to produce. Empty warehouses. Empty offices. Machinery collecting dust. No hands put to work. No goods. A ghost town when it comes to the economy.
Imagine no electricity. No generators. No batteries. No lamps. No fires. Only darkness at night.
Imagine the joy of bride and bridegroom never to be seen or heard from again. No loving relationships. No celebrations. No beauty. No hopes and dreams.
This is the future of our world. It is a bleak picture with not an ounce of anything encouraging to look forward to. (For some reason the movie Mad Max comes to mind…) As this picture is slowly painted in my mind, I cannot help but be thankful for those “little things” that are a part of our lives today. I am thankful we have music – even when it is annoying at times! I’d rather live with the annoyance than to not have any music at all. The ability to work… it is a privilege to create and produce and make use of our hands. Even the most menial of labor is better than no labor at all. Praise God for the ability and providence of work. To be able to enjoy nights at home. Living in the northwest when it gets dark so early in the winter months, to have light and fire is a beautiful thing. And finally the joy of loving relationships. The ability to celebrate (even midlife birthdays!). The ability to enjoy life with others and dream dreams. We really do have much to be thankful for in light of the gloomy future depicted in this passage!
Today, rather than complain about the little inconveniences, consider what life would be like without the thing that gives you such great comfort and convenience and pleasure. I think we can all say that any inconvenience is worth it.
-Mike
