Give up control
Since they shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, you have given them blood to drink. It is their just reward.” – Revelation 16:6
For years, I thought I had control of my life. Ironically, I didn’t realize I could make my own choices that didn’t necessarily line up with God’s plan. I thought everything that happened around me was God’s will. I didn’t understand that my choices were putting me on a path of destruction instead of His righteousness. But I did the things I needed to do to try to live in a way that would look successful to those around me. The reality was that I was the only one deceived by that appearance.
Later on as I began turning every area of my life over to God, I would still try to control things through prayer. I would come up with clever ways that I could see possible and ask God to fix or change things in a way that I could imagine. As my children became adults, I realized that God’s way is so much better than anything I could come up with, so I gave up trying to control my circumstances through telling God how to fix thigs.
At the beginning of my marriage, I would try to control things by fighting to get my way or by letting my disapproval known through my silence. Still, these were ways that I was trying to control my circumstance through.
Finally, I realized that if I turned things over to my Father in heaven and let Him work out the details, He would move things in a way that I could have never come up with. By trusting Him with my relationship with my children, He has brought me into the best possible place with them including their spouses. In my relationship with my husband, again as I keep my mouth shut and let God work out the details, He has eliminated many stressful conversation and brought us into agreement in a way that would not be possible if I tried to accomplish it on my own.
You may be asking yourself, “What does this have to do with the book of Revelation? The answer to that question is that even though the anti-Christ and the false prophet are trying to push their agenda in the world and take control of all people, God’s way is still being poured out and disrupting their efforts. In the key verse above, I love that it says that since the rulers in the world are shedding the blood of God’s people, they are receiving their just reward right in the middle of trying to control the whole earth. It doesn’t matter what they try to accomplish, in the end, God’s way will supersede all. I will take this opportunity to once again remind us that Revelation is not a book about the evil that will rise up and try to take over the world, it is the conclusion to God’s message of salvation and love for His created people. He is the only one in control
Today I want to encourage you to give up control. Turn every area of your life over to God and then trust Him to handle it. Don’t pray to Him trying to get Him to move in the way that you see possible. Instead, let Him do His impossible miracles in all your circumstances. He will bless you far greater than you could ever imagine and if you turn things over as soon as a concerned thought comes, you will eliminate a lot of stress and anxiety in your life. Trust Him for the details today by turning things over to Him as soon as they are evident. He may give you a part to do and lead you through His Spirit or your part might just be to wait as He unfolds the details and then works all things in your life together for something good because you love Him. (See Romans 8:28)
Today’s scripture reading: Revelation 16:1-6
1 Then I heard a mighty voice from the Temple say to the seven angels, “Go your ways and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.”
2 So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl on the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue.
3 Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse. And everything in the sea died.
4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs, and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying, “You are just, O Holy One, who is and who always was, because you have sent these judgments.
6 Since they shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, you have given them blood to drink. It is their just reward.”
The Daily Dose 