“But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end…I will give him the morning star.” Revelation 2:25,26a,28
Jesus has just finished warning the church in Thyatira that judgment is on the way. Yet within this corruption, there are still those that truly belong to Him. What a sweet promise He gives them. He will put no other burden on them. Just hold on, He seems to be saying. Don’t give up what you know to be true. And in the end, reward will be yours. What is the reward He promises? He will give those who hold fast the morning star. At first glance, this doesn’t make much sense. What exactly is the morning star? You have to read to the last chapter of Revelation to find out. Jesus tells us, in Revelation 22:16, that He is the Bright and Morning Star. Hold on to the end, and He will give us Himself!
There are many wonderful things the Lord gives those who belong to Him. He gives us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, without Whom it would be impossible for any of us to hold on. He blesses us in this life, and gives us strength to endure the trials that inevitably come our way as we live in this fallen, sin-cursed world. He gives us the promise of an eternity totally free of sin and its devastating effects. But the greatest gift He gives us is Himself. Without Him, everything else is meaningless. I love things He’s given me, the blessings He’s showered upon me, the strength He’s been for me during difficult times. But what I increasingly long for is Him. I just want to be with Him.
Someday, maybe soon, He’s coming back. Hold on till then, He says, and He will give us the ultimate gift. He will give us Himself.
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