Mesmerized

Revelation 1:17-18
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Write, therefore, what you have seen.”


O Lord my God, how great You are!
You are the First and the Last; the Living One. Clothed with glorious splendor and breathtaking majesty, radiant light surrounds You. The clouds are Your chariot. Exalted in power, You ride on the wing of the winds. Totally preoccupied with Your magnificent greatness, I don’t have time to think about my own suffering and solitude. This stunning vision of Your glory in the midst of my despondency and despair causes me to fall completely prostrate at Your feet as though dead.

Stunned into dead silence, I can’t argue with You about Your purpose or plan; I can’t rationalize my attitudes and actions; there are simply no excuses or words to express; only dead silence. Absolutely still, there’s no more wrestling over my own hopes and dreams; no more wandering off in my own direction. Lying there, as a dead man at Your holy feet, unreservedly surrendered to Your holiness, my sole desire is to feel Your touch of greatness and hear Your tender voice of compassion.

Eternal Father, just as You picked up John in the midst of his suffering and seclusion, reach out Your strong right hand and touch me. Your almighty hand is my refuge. Supported by Your everlasting arms, I can experience inexpressible peace and comfort, trusting You to thwart off anyone or anything that tries to destroy my spirit. Secure and safe in the sanctuary of Your ascended glory, I’ll hear You tenderly say, “Do not be afraid, my child. You will not perish but prevail. No one can ever pluck you from My mighty grip of grace. I Am the Almighty One who holds the keys of death and Hades. I have freed you from eternal bondage and empowered you to live forever and ever. Go. Serve me through your suffering.”

O God, what incredible awe I feel kneeling before You! Your right hand has given me shelter, strength and security to survive and serve You through extreme suffering and solitude. In my despondency and despair, O Lord, be magnified. Blessed be Your glorious name. Amen.

If you are in the middle of a hopeless situation, remember that the power available to John is also available to you. What vision are you missing because you are preoccupied with your problems and your pain?

In the midst of misery focus on Jesus because when you’re mesmerized by His beauty, there’s no time to think of yourself. John’s fixation resulted in his prostration before the Holy One. Surrendered, silent and still at the feet of Jesus, he was given an assignment. Perhaps He has an assignment for you too. In order to receive it, you must get your eyes off yourself and unreservedly gaze at the greatness of God.