December 31 — "The Blessing Is In The Keeping"

 

Today's Reading: Revelation 22

The big idea of Revelation 22:7 is simple and searching: blessing flows not merely from knowing God’s Word, but from keeping it.

Jesus’s Revelation to John does not end the Bible with a puzzle—it ends it with a promise: “Blessed is the one who keeps the words of this book.” That blessing is not reserved for scholars or prophecy enthusiasts. It is for ordinary believers who take God at His word and live accordingly.

To “keep” Revelation is to let its truths shape how we worship, endure, repent, discern, and hope. At its core, Revelation calls us to keep Jesus central. This book pulls back the curtain to show Him reigning, victorious, and worthy of all allegiance. We keep Revelation when our lives orbit around Christ—not culture, comfort, selfishness, or fear. It reminds us that faithfulness matters, especially when following Jesus costs something. The early believers who first received this book lived under real pressure, and Revelation urged them to endure, stay loyal, and refuse compromise. That call has not softened with time.

Revelation also teaches us to keep our worship pure. Everyone worships something, and this book exposes the danger of misplaced devotion. To keep its words is to guard our hearts from idols—whether power, success, security, or approval—and to reserve our deepest affection for the Lamb alone.

Closely connected to this is the call to discernment. Revelation warns that deception will be persuasive, seem reasonable, and be widely accepted. Keeping this book means developing spiritual clarity—testing voices, weighing messages, and refusing anything that demands allegiance that belongs only to Christ. This discernment is especially vital when it comes to the "mark of the beast,” which represents total loyalty to a godless system. To keep Revelation is to say, even quietly and at great cost, “I belong to Jesus, not this world.”

There is also a strong call to repentance. Jesus speaks tenderly yet firmly to churches, urging them to return to their first love, awaken from spiritual drift, and correct what has gone off course. Keeping Revelation means staying humble and responsive, allowing the Lord to correct what He loves. This is not condemnation—it is restoration.

Finally, Revelation teaches us to keep hope alive. Evil does not win. Injustice does not last. God will dwell with His people, and all things will be made new. To keep this book is to live with eternity in view—holding earthly things loosely and eternal promises tightly.

May the Lord help you not merely read these words, but keep them. May He sharpen your discernment, strengthen your faithfulness, and anchor your hope in Christ alone. And may your life reflect the blessing promised to those who remain loyal to Jesus until the day He comes.