Words of Hope Daily Devotional
At the Lord’s Table
Read: Exodus 24:9-18
They beheld God, and ate and drank. (v. 11)
I tend to be restless in worship. My mind wanders. I check my watch. After an hour, I look for the exit. But I once attended a revival service that changed everything. The service was a cacophony of prayer and praise; laughter and weeping; shouting and dancing. In spite of my skepticism, I found myself drawn in. When I finally left, I looked at my watch. I’d been there three hours, yet it felt like no time had passed—I had temporarily stepped out of earthly time and space.
In Exodus 24, Israel assembles at Mount Sinai. God is in the process of calling them to be a nation of heaven’s ambassadors on earth. At the Lord’s invitation, Israel’s leaders ascend the mountain. The desert ground gives way to a pavement of sapphire. Time seems to stop. God furnishes a feast. They eat and drink in his presence. The Lord graciously draws them into heaven’s space and time.
The worship practices of the church offer experiences of heaven on earth. One of them is Communion. Describing it, the Heidelberg Catechism states, “Through the Holy Spirit, who lives both in Christ and in us, we are united more and more to Christ’s blessed body. And so, although he is in heaven and we are on earth, we are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone” (Answer 76).
The next time you enter into worship, let the Lord draw you from your earthly place into his heavenly presence.
As you pray, quiet your heart and receive heaven’s invitation.
About the Author
Ben Van Arragon
Ben Van Arragon is a preacher and writer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He preaches and teaches the Bible in church, online, and anywhere else he has the opportunity.
The Alpha and the Omega
Read: 1 Corinthians 15:22-28 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God. (Rev. 1:8) Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In today’s reading, God says, in essence, “I’m the beginning
Lost Love
Read: Revelation 2:2-6; Luke 7:36-50 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. (Rev. 2:4) In the musical Fiddler on the Roof, the main character, beset by the uncertainties swirling around his
Among the Lampstands
Read: Revelation 2:1; Matthew 18:18-20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. (Matt. 18:20) The Lord Jesus dictated seven letters to John for distribution among the churches of Asia Minor. Each letter
What Jesus Looks Like Now
Read: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Revelation 1:12-17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. (Rev. 1:17) What’s your mental picture of Jesus? Some might think of a painting that once hung in many a church lounge,
Partners in Tribulation
Read: Revelation 1:4-9; John 16:25-33 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus . . . (Rev. 1:9) A key word in the book of Revelation is thlipsis,
To Him Be Glory Forever
Read: Revelation 1:4-6; 5:1-14 . . . to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. (Rev. 1:6) In Greek, doxology means a “word of glory.” Doxologies are brief ascriptions of praise that Christians have used in worship since the