Stranded!

by: William C. Brownson

John, the beloved disciple, a venerable pastor of God’s people, became a serious threat to imperial Rome. Because he fearlessly preached God’s Word and testified to the risen Jesus as Savior and Lord of all, he was exiled to the rocky island of Patmos, some forty miles southwest of Ephesus.

Just imagine how John must have felt. He was cut off from all contact with fellow believers, deprived of every opportunity for witness. After a long, fruitful, storied lifetime, he was stranded on a pile of rocks and seemingly abandoned to die, useless and alone.

Then something marvelous happened. It was the Lord’s day, and John reports that he was “in the Spirit,” in close communion with the Lord. To his shock and amazement, he heard behind him a voice like a trumpet blast. Imagine that! On a deserted isle he hears a kind of reveille!

The voice said, “Write what you see in a book, and send it to the seven churches.” Turning to see whose voice it was, John was overwhelmed by a vision of the exalted Christ. He called John to write what he saw and send it forth.

Think of what happened as a result. The words of this book have blessed the church for twenty centuries, keeping faith and hope alive in the midst of trial and persecution. So wherever you may be stranded today, you’re not “washed up”!