The Wonderful One

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading, titled The Wonderful One, was written by David Robert. In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion returned to Oz with the broomstick that empowered the Wicked Witch of the West. The wizard had promised, in return for the broomstick, that he would give the four their deepest desires. A ride home for Dorothy, a bring for the Scarecrow, a heart for the Tin Man, and courage for the Cowardly Lion. But the wizard stalls and tells them to come back the next day.

While they pled with the wizard, Dorothy's dog Toto pulls back the curtain, behind which the wizard spoke, to reveal that the wizard isn't a wizard at all. He's just a fearful fidgety man from Nebraska. It's said that the author L. Frank Baum had a serious problem with God, so he wanted to send the message that only we have the power to solve our problems. In contrast, the Apostle John pulls back the veil in Revelation chapter 4 to reveal the truly wonderful one behind the curtain.

Words fail John, but the point is well made. God is seated on his throne, surrounded by a sea of glass. Despite the troubles that plague us here on Earth, God isn't pacing the floor and biting his nails.

He's actively at work for our good, so we can experience his peace. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Revelation chapter 4 verses 4 through 11. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. In front of the throne seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.

Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center around the throne were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.

Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stopped saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him, who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever.

They lay their crowns before the throne and say, You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being. Now let's pray. Dear Lord, may our hearts long for You more and more, each and every day we live. And though we are surrounded in the midst of pain and struggle and hardship, we can trust that You are actively at work for our good so we can finish this race and finish it well. And it's in Jesus' precious name we pray, amen.