Day 14

12 Feb Day 14

Alpha and Omega- Beginning and End; First and Last

WRITTEN BY: Mike Herr

Scripture: Revelation 1:8-NLT–  “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,’ says the Lord God. ‘I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.’”

 Read the rest of Revelation 1 here.

Observation: Our God is an eternal being who transcends time itself.  There is no one or anything that comes before him or after him. He is the highest being in the universe.  He is a perfect Holy God!

Application: Have you ever prayed for something and waited for what felt like an eternity till you received it?  Maybe you were waiting to hear back from that college you wanted to get into or to hear from that dream job you applied for. Or for God to bring that special someone into your life that he has for you. Maybe you are waiting for God to bring you out of a tough circumstance you are in.  Waiting can be one of the hardest parts of life for us to do because we can be impatient.  But God is patient, and everything happens in his timing.

Six years ago, I had an addiction to alcohol.  For about a four-year period, I ran to alcohol on a daily basis to drown out my problems and the deep hurt I was experiencing.  My parents could not recognize their son anymore.  My sisters and brother saw their little brother slipping away from them.  They all had to keep praying and waiting for God to bring me out of it.  That waiting part must have felt like an eternity.  However, their patience and faithfulness were rewarded, and God did bring me out of my addiction.  The son they always knew was returned to my parents, and the little brother returned to my siblings.  Then I was the one who had to learn how to be patient.  It felt like an eternity for the withdrawal from alcohol to go away, for the fog in my head to clear up to see clearly, and for me to see my identity in Jesus again.  Jesus did bring me through all of that, and for almost the last six years, I have been clean by his grace.

The truth is, God has existed for eternity.  He is not bound by time as we know it.   Time can feel long to us, especially the dark times we go through.  But they pass by in the blink of an eye to God.  Jesus is the beginning and the end.  He was there in the beginning of creation, is here now, and will come again.  Everything was created through him and for him.  As God’s creation, we were created through and for Jesus.  Jesus is with us and knows the pain we can go through.  God does not forsake us.  We have a purpose in him.  That purpose is to live a life for his glory, be a light that shines the love of Jesus to others, and help others to find Jesus.  

One day Jesus will come again, and we will be united with him for eternity.  Until the day he comes, we are to wait for his return patiently.  In the waiting, we are called to serve Jesus’s kingdom by serving the broken, the downtrodden, and the lost—those that do not know Jesus.  By serving others before ourselves, we are being a light that illuminates him to others.  Jesus tells us to live a life like he is coming any second.  We can live a life that brings joy in all God has for us in our short time on earth and be someone God uses to bring new brothers and sisters to his family.

Prayer:  Father, thank you for your grace. I pray for patience as I wait for Jesus’ return.  Help me to live a life pleasing to you and leading others to Jesus. I  love you and trust you as Alpha and Omega.  Amen!

Mike Herr/J-Groups Team /Newark Men’s J-Groups Area Coordinator 

JLI Graduate 2022

Mike started gathering the Journey in January 2021.  He loves serving with the J-Groups team, where he helps Journeyers get connected and grow in their faith.  He currently resides in Delaware and works full-time in the snack food industry.  

---

Next Steps:

Spend some time this week connecting with God during your slot and spot. 

Pray about where you need to be patient in your life.  What is an area of your life God is telling you to wait on and trust him? 

Serve!  If you are not currently serving, check out Plugged In to see where God has a place for you to serve at the Journey.

Read Matthew 25:31-46  Check out the rest of Revelation Chapter 1.

Come back for Day 15! 

Check out this study on Youversion to dive deeper into Alpha and Omega

If you are looking to connect or would like support through an addiction, it’s not too late to join  Recovery J-Group