Daily Devotional • November 22
A Reading from Revelation 22:14-21
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”
And let everyone who hears say, “Come.”
And let everyone who is thirsty come.
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book; 19 if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
20 The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.
Meditation
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.”
Are your robes washed in the blood of Jesus Christ? Are you ready for his return, dependent upon the blood of the New Covenant, the cup of salvation? Those who trust in Christ and in the cleansing power of Christ’s redemption receive the right to the Tree of Life. This is the free gift of God’s grace, not dependent on our efforts. These enter freely into the city by its open gates.
I love this summary of our yearning for Christ’s return:
“We long for God’s presence to soak the earth like an autumn fog. We yearn for genuine human community, for people from all nations, tribes, races, and cultures to surround the throne in a united song of praise to God and the Lamb. We ache for the healing of all the wounds of sin and selfishness: no generational poverty, no people trafficking, no racial profiling, no gun violence, no abused children, no on-demand abortions, no displaced peoples, no political corruption, no war or genocide. We long for God to wipe all tears from our eyes, to put an end, forever, to pain, pandemics, disease, and death. We yearn for a restored, flourishing earth that no longer bears the curse of changing climates and human greed. We can taste the Lamb’s banquet feast. We thirst for the wholeness of new creation’s life-giving streams.” (Dean Fleming, Foretaste of the Future: Reading Revelation in the Light of God’s Mission)
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.
The Very Rev. Sherry Black is a second-career Episcopal priest, and has been a full-time hospital chaplain for over ten years. She also serves a small mission church as priest-in-charge, and is dean of her deanery.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
Grace Episcopal Church, Ocala, Florida
The Diocese of Rift Valley – The Anglican Church of Tanzania
This ministry of The Living Church Foundation is made possible in part by a special bequest from the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer.
