Revelation 22 the final chapter of the Bible with the tree of life and living water bringing us to Eden restored. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. v. 1-5.

Tomorrow I start at the beginning…Genesis 1. I can’t help but think about the circle of life. Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. v. 12-13. Jesus, the Word, the Creator, was in the beginning with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden walking and talking with them right up until they chose to listen to Satan. When Jesus was with the disciples, He had to prepare them for His leaving them to return to the Father. But here, in Revelation 22, we have His promise…Look! I am coming soon!

And what does He tell us today? Listen to My voice. The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is thank God for this new day with Him. A good start! Not twenty minutes later my mind slipped effortlessly to judging and condemning others. He helped me realize what I was doing and I immediately repented and asked Him for forgiveness but being human I wondered will I ever be worthy of Him? As I sat in prayer with Him, feeling all too weak and needy again – I couldn’t help but think about each one of us – so many of us – and we each have trials and burdens and attitudes unique to us. We are each one of us on a unique path. There are stumbling stones, ditches, smooth areas lush with beauty, barren colorless areas and the path is long; sometimes bathed in light and sometimes filled with darkness.

He reminded me He is walking that path with me. He knows I stumble. He knows we lose our way and get hopelessly lost and disoriented. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. John 10:11-13. Satan cared nothing for Adam and Eve. He cares for none of us. He will lead us to our destruction – he thinks. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father. John 10:14-18. The Good Shepherd…the Alpha and the Omega…the First and the Last…the Beginning and the End.

Psalm 23…a good place to hear Jesus’s voice. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (ESV)

Listen to His voice. He’s on your path with you.