“With a mighty voice he shouted: “ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.” Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “ ‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. 

Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup. Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself.

In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow; I will never mourn.’ Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. 

“They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn and cry out: “ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! 

In ONE HOUR,such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭18‬:‭2‬-‭8‬, ‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Those are some serious words. How often do we get caught up in Babylon? How we perform, what we look like, what we wear, what we post, the pictures we take, the things we have, the house we live in, the success we accomplish, the success of our children, the car we drive, the list goes on and on and what an exhausting list it is. If God gave us back a double portion of what we’ve done, of how much glory and luxury we’ve given ourselves in torment, what would your portion look like? 

Today I want you to be reminded that at the end of the day all the mess we worry about, all the excess we strive for, all the riches we slave after, it will, in the end be destroyed with nothing to show for it.  God has placed us in a place of influence for such a time as this. Don’t be discouraged about all the junk in your life, be encouraged that with God you are victorious and today is your day to make an impact for the Kingdom!

The thing I love most about the Bible is that every single time you read it you gain new perspective. 

And that perspective – that’s Jesus communicating with you. 

This past Sunday as I listened to the 4th and 5th Grade Sunday School teacher read the Easter story (I’m the assistant in that room), my mind went to a place it had never gone to before. 

I started thinking about the fact that Jesus was in the absolute worst state He could possibly be in – enduring a horrific, slow death – but He was more worried about the two people on either side of Him. 

That’s my Jesus. 

This “Do You” mentality that our social media driven world is trying to indoctrinate us in isn’t it, y’all. 

It’s not it at all. 

If you find yourself stuck in an awful place. A place so dreadful that you don’t know what to do or where to go – turn to your neighbor and see how you can help them instead. 

Let’s start being like Jesus. 

Acting like Jesus. 

Serving like Jesus. 

Let’s start loving like Jesus. 

That’s why God put us here. 

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.””

‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭45‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” – Matthew 6:26

Oftentimes, we find ourselves caught up in worry, wondering how things will work out or stressing over what we lack. We question what our futures will look like or what the next step of life is. BUT… Jesus reminds us to be still, pause, and look at the world around us. The birds don’t plant crops, but God provides food for them. The flowers don’t toil, but they are clothed in beauty. If God cares so deeply for them, how much more does He care for us?! We are His children!

As we read that God provides for the smallest sparrow and clothes the flowers in beauty, He will also meet each of our needs. We can lay aside our worries and put our trust in His perfect plans because knows exactly what we need. He is always faithful!

So, no matter what season of life you’re walking through in, rest in the truth that the Lord will provide!