Servants rule

I just finished reading the last few chapters of Revelation.  Wow!  Though I've read this awesome prophecy before, it never ceases to amaze me.  As followers of Christ, we will one day rule and reign with Him!

But something stood out to me that I don't remember seeing before.  Revelation 22:3 reads like this:

"No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him."

So we will continue to serve Christ throughout eternity.  How does that fit into the ruling and reigning with Him?  Two verses later, we read:

"And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illuminate them; and they will reign forever and ever."

Serving is reigning!  When we serve, we rule!  Like so many other ways of God's Kingdom, it is in total opposite to this world's system.  But not in the new world!

As we serve Christ here in this life, here and now, being a servant is seen as lowly in the world's eyes.  But those of us who serve Him - by obeying Him - know that we truly rule here and now.  How?  We let Christ rule in our hearts.  And He is Lord of lords now and always!

In the new earth, we are still serving Christ. There, we will be in positions of His authority (as we have His authority now but are overlooked by the world) and reign with Him as we continue to serve Him.

This blows my mind!  Servants will rule the world!  Not despots and those who "lord" themselves over others, but true servants of the One, True, Living God!  Alleluia!  Praise the Lord Jesus Christ for this truth!

As we end this landmark year, we may be hoping for a "better" year in 2021.  That is putting a lot of pressure on a year!

God alone knows what the year will bring.

In everything, we are to give thanks. (I Thessalonians 5:18)  So we give thanks for all that we have learned, suffered, endured, and overcome in 2020, the year of the plague.  But it is not as if the virus will magically disappear in 2021.  We are still fighting the fight.

So it would seem that we need other things to look forward to other than the end of the virus and getting "back to" normal life.  

Is Jesus returning soon?  Only God knows the exact day and time.  When we put our hope in Him, His return, His reign, we are looking forward to a sure thing.  His return is written throughout Scripture, not just in the Revelation.  Some take this more seriously than others.

I say now is the time to put our hope where it belongs!  Whether or not life gets "better" this side of heaven, let us fix our hope completely on the return of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the day when, as His servants, we will rule and reign with Him forevermore!

Come, Lord Jesus.  Come!

Dear Lord, we come to You excited and looking forward to a New Year!  For You are the Author of it.  You know each event, what will happen globally as well as with each and every one of your billions of creatures.  We praise, laud, and magnify You, O Lord, for Your Revelation - for You didn't have to reveal it to us, but You have.  We look forward to Your new heaven and earth where all will be well and right.  In the meantime, help us live each day to love, worship, and serve You - because You are worthy, and in preparation for eternity!  In Jesus' Name.  Amen!