What are you looking forward to in the New Year? Maybe it’s a holiday, or a wedding. Maybe you’re not looking forward to anything in particular, in fact maybe you’re dreading something. If you’re a Christian, no matter whether you are married or single, you have something wonderful to look forward, in fact you have the best wedding ahead of you!
Sometimes we forget that marriage wasn’t something people made up. It was God’s idea, He gave it to us, not only as a gracious gift to provide happiness, stability and companionship, but as an illustration to help us understand how much God loves His people. Every human marriage falls short of the ideal, at it’s best it’s a shadow of the reality. In the Bible God is described as being like a husband, and the church is like His bride. But at the moment, it’s like an engagement, and we’re waiting for the big day when we can move in together. And how good it will be to finally be with the Lord forever! No one who has trusted Christ will be left out. No one will go home lonely, no one will feel left out. And as for the new home—we’ll get to that in Revelation 21, but safe to say, it will be amazing.
In contrast to all the devastating judgment surrounding these verses, God’s people are rejoicing that God is reigning (Revelation 19:6) and there is a wonderful future ahead. So often it seems that other things seem to reign, maybe it seems like depression reigns or MS, or Muscular Dystrophy or cancer reigns, other times it seems natural disasters reign, or war reigns, or criminals reign. For 1st Century Christians, it may have seemed that Rome reigned, as Christians were locked up in prison or killed for their faith.
What a relief to know that the Lord our God the Almighty reigns! What does it mean that He reigns? It means for God’s people the best is yet to come! At this point in Revelation, judgment has just happened, Babylon fallen, suffering is ending for God’s people! And a great wedding is ahead! As we think about this, it should lift our heads and give us a spring in our step, the best is yet to come, one day suffering will be over! Every day is a day closer! One day all who trust Christ will be with the Lord forever in His new creation. No wonder John sees this is a cause to rejoice (v7). Here is a way to view your present troubles as light and momentary, look to the wedding that is ahead of you!
How are we to get ready for this wedding? Notice first of all that the clothing was given to her (v8 “it was granted her”). We cannot pay for our own clothing. The clothing is given to God’s people by Jesus. Jesus is described here as the Lamb, reminding us that He is the one who laid down his life for us so that we can be clothed in His righteousness. All the wealth in the world is nothing compared to this. Only the clothes given by Jesus will make us ready for the new creation. Jesus takes away our sin and shame and clothes us with His righteousness. When you see what He has done for you, you start to live differently, you want to wear the clothes that He gives you to wear. You see how compassionate he’s been to you, and you want to be compassionate to others. As you realise the glory that awaits you, and the suffering that awaits those who continue to reject Christ, far from desiring their lives, you begin to feel pity for them, to pray for them, and to hold out the testimony of Jesus to them.
Dear Christian believer as you face the new year, no matter what lies ahead, you can be confident that the Lord reigns, and He has the most wonderful future for you, He’ll get you there. If we know that, we can face those trials as light and momentary.
Light and Momentary Troubles 
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