DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2021-01-01
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

BIBLE REFERENCE: Revelation 22:10-14
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁰ Don’t keep the prophecies in this book a secret. These things will happen soon. ¹¹ Evil people will keep on being evil, and everyone who is dirty-minded will still be dirty-minded. But good people will keep on doing right, and God’s people will always be holy.
¹² Then I was told: I am coming soon! And when I come, I will reward everyone for what they have done. ¹³ I am Alpha and Omega,^[b] the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
¹⁴ God will bless all who have washed their robes. They will each have the right to eat fruit from the tree that gives life, and they can enter the gates of the city. 

OBSERVATION: Happy New Year to all my faithful followers and readers of this blog! By reading today’s devotional, you have been awarded the gift of yet another day, another month and another year to sing the praises of our King, and to continue sharing His love with those that you come into contact with! Welcome to 2021!

APPLICATION: Our verses for meditation today comes from the last chapter of the last book of the Holy Bible – God’s precious Word! I believe God is assuring us that there was great purpose in having gone methodically through the entire contents of His Word, for it all leads to one thing – His ultimate return to earth to take His bride – the church – those who are called by His name, home to glory with Him, for an eternity with He and the Father. For you see dear folk, there are many who have divided the Word and taken advantage of the various pieces of the Bible that appeal to them, and speak to their belief system. However, we can see from today’s Scripture that God wanted John to tell us all that He was deliberate in all that He shared with us, and that there are consequences for any that have added or subtracted from His Holy Word. Furthermore, we are reminded that everything shared with us leads to the return of Jesus Christ, and that awesome event is about to unfold, for He is coming soon, according to His own words! Notice that He said that He will return with rewards for everyone. No doubt you might automatically assume that He must have rewards even for those who don’t deserve the gift of heaven. Friends, I glorify God that He is doing the judging, and not I or anyone else I might know here on earth. For those who are ready, meaning that we have accepted the gift of salvation through God’s Son – Jesus Christ, then we will be rewarded with Eternal Life. The Bible tells us so. For those who have done nothing in preparation for Christ’s return, they too will receive what they deserve – eternal damnation. The Word is clear my friend, there is no ‘middle-of-the-road’ choices. So let me encourage you on this very first day of this New Year, prepare yourself for what Jesus Christ has promised: He is coming soon, and He will take His bride on to glory with Him. Please don’t be left behind watching as your Christ-following family and friends leave this world supernaturally. You too can be in that group. 2021 can be bright and filled with the promise of happiness in the Lord, despite any circumstances that may come our way! 2020 was filled with surprises, and some were impacted by its events that they, nor us ever expected to see. With Christ, we can be content in knowing that in death we will gain the heights and glory of heaven, while in life we can press on to encourage others towards knowing our Savior and Lord. I trust that you are content in the Lord dear friend.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for watching over us in 2020, and thank You for giving us additional opportunities in 2021. Thank You for opening my eyes, and my understanding to accept You as Lord! Thank You for bringing my readers and I through a very challenging, different and difficult year. Thank You for giving us another chance to share You with those we know and care about. May You be glorified in 2021 like never before! Come Lord Jesus, come! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!