January 31 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

The theme of the month is spiritual war. Jesus won the battle not by might but by obedience. He is the source of salvation for all who obey him. When we have stood the test, we will share Christ's glory.

Bible Reading:

Revelation 7:9–17

Bible Text:

"These ... have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes ... in the blood of the Lamb" (Rev. 7:14).

Devotional:

John is on the island of Patmos, and he is still a member of the suffering church. He does not know any glorious church members. Neither do you and I.

In John's vision, however, the victors of the spiritual war enter into the free country that God has prepared for them. Their palm branches signify that they have won. And their white robes indicate their purity.

"One of the elders" explains what John sees. These people come out of the "great tribulation" or the "terrible trial"—that is, the suffering they endured in their lives. The vision explains their freedom in terms of a second exodus. In the first exodus the Israelites escaped the terror of death by the lamb's blood on the doorposts. Now again it is the blood of the Lamb that secures freedom for Christians "from every nation, tribe, people and language."

God gave this vision to encourage Christians who were just beginning to experience persecution at the hands of the Romans. The vision also cheers us and all who struggle in the present world. Some of us may have to suffer much and others very little. None of us are allowed to forget the ongoing spiritual war. All of us must avoid making peace with the enemy.

Remember, we will be free in the Promised Land—happy and free at last! And we will owe our freedom to the blood of the Lamb.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.