The Amen
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:14, 20-22 NIV)
I never can start to write something without first knowing how I'm going to finish it. I never can begin without first figuring out how to end.
God the Author suffers no such constraint of creativity or knowledge, of course. When He began writing His story, He already knew its ending. It would be an ending that would really only be the best possible beginning to a story with no end. It would be His "Amen."
The word "amen" conveys confirmation, verification, certainty, and truth. As a response, it is a solemn nod of agreement: "so be it."
Jesus is the Amen to all of God's promises. He is the star Witness for the Ancient of Days. He is the Yes to every "I will" of the I AM.
Abba: "No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Joshua 1:5).
The Amen: "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b).
Abba: "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions' " (Exodus 16:4).
The Amen: "Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty' " (John 6:35).
Abba: "I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs" (Isaiah 41:18).
The Amen: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life" (Revelation 21:6).
Abba: "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them: (Isaiah 42:16).
The Amen: "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life' " (John 8:12).
He is the Beginning. He is the Amen.
May His great name be praised forever.
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This name in a song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jThYchneZvw.
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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!