Anglican Devotional 1 November 2022 – The Redeemed Of The Tribulation

TOPIC — The Redeemed Of The Tribulation

READ: Ecclesiastes 6 (NKJV)

1. There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it [is] common among men:
2. A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil affliction.
3. If a man begets a hundred [children] and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say [that] a stillborn child [is] better than he —
4. for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.
5. Though it has not seen the sun or known [anything,] this has more rest than that man,
6. even if he lives a thousand years twice — but has not seen goodness. Do not all go to one place?
7. All the labor of man [is] for his mouth, And yet the soul is not satisfied.
8. For what more has the wise [man] than the fool? What does the poor man have, Who knows [how] to walk before the living?
9. Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. This also [is] vanity and grasping for the wind.
10. Whatever one is, he has been named already, For it is known that he [is] man; And he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.
11. Since there are many things that increase vanity, How [is] man the better?
12. For who knows what [is] good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?

THE MESSAGE:

In the early years when the Roman Empire persecuted Christians, so many Martyrs died of their faith and as a result, the Church set aside special days to honour them. The Bible does not tell us to pray to the saints (Matthew 6:6) or through the Saints (1 Timothy 2:5), instead, we think of our connectedness to past saints and find inspiration in their stories of God’s faithfulness. All baptised Christians who have died and are now with God in glory are considered Saints.

All Saints’ Day is intended to honour the memory of countless unknown and uncanonised saints who have no feast days. This feast is observed to teach us to honour the saints who have triumphed in their race on earth and to imitate their lives. Some saints were witnesses who preached, taught and acted in a Christ-like manner; some were Martyrs, killed specifically because they practised and proclaimed their faith despite opposition.

From our text, this great multitude is probably Christians from all times and places. Long ago, God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5) and as the sand of the sea (Genesis 32:12). Now we see that promise fulfilled. This is a huge multitude of Triumphant Christians, so large that no one can count it. This great multitude, clothed in white, palms branches in hand, are celebrating the salvation which they have experienced at God’s hand. As we celebrate the All-Saints’ Day today, we believe that one day we will join the saints in heaven to rejoice and worship our God for the salvation given us in Christ Jesus.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, grant me grace to remain faithful to You and in the end join the saints above in eternal worship of You, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.