God is Eternal
Revelation 2:8
To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.
When Jesus introduces Himself to the church at Smyrna, He doesn’t begin with their suffering. He begins with His identity: the First and the Last. Before there was persecution, before there were emperors, before there were even churches, He was there. And long after their trials, He would still be there. That reminder matters because it shifts the focus from temporary pain to eternal presence.
Our lives often get consumed by the now—the bills due, the stress at work, the relationships under strain. But Jesus calls His people to zoom out. What you are facing is real, but it is not ultimate. Jesus bookends history: He is the First and the Last. Even death could not stop Him, because He “died and came to life again.” That means no hardship is the end of the story for those who trust Him.
For Smyrna, persecution was guaranteed. For us, hostility and pressure may not take the form of prison or fire, but we do face the tension of following Christ in a culture that pushes back against Him. And yet, the same truth holds steady: our trials are stamped with an expiration date, but our Savior is not. He outlasts the slander, the pressure, the fear, and even death itself.
When you begin your day with that perspective—that Christ is eternal—it reframes everything else. Stress shrinks in comparison to His sovereignty. Pain finds purpose in the light of eternity. Jesus doesn’t just offer perspective; He is the perspective. He reminds us: I was here before this trial, I’ll be here after this trial, and I am with you in this trial.
Prayer
Lord, thank You that You are the First and the Last. Help me remember today that my struggles are temporary but You are eternal. Give me courage to see my problems in the light of eternity, and remind me that nothing I face today can outlast You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.
When Jesus introduces Himself to the church at Smyrna, He doesn’t begin with their suffering. He begins with His identity: the First and the Last. Before there was persecution, before there were emperors, before there were even churches, He was there. And long after their trials, He would still be there. That reminder matters because it shifts the focus from temporary pain to eternal presence.
Our lives often get consumed by the now—the bills due, the stress at work, the relationships under strain. But Jesus calls His people to zoom out. What you are facing is real, but it is not ultimate. Jesus bookends history: He is the First and the Last. Even death could not stop Him, because He “died and came to life again.” That means no hardship is the end of the story for those who trust Him.
For Smyrna, persecution was guaranteed. For us, hostility and pressure may not take the form of prison or fire, but we do face the tension of following Christ in a culture that pushes back against Him. And yet, the same truth holds steady: our trials are stamped with an expiration date, but our Savior is not. He outlasts the slander, the pressure, the fear, and even death itself.
When you begin your day with that perspective—that Christ is eternal—it reframes everything else. Stress shrinks in comparison to His sovereignty. Pain finds purpose in the light of eternity. Jesus doesn’t just offer perspective; He is the perspective. He reminds us: I was here before this trial, I’ll be here after this trial, and I am with you in this trial.
Prayer
Lord, thank You that You are the First and the Last. Help me remember today that my struggles are temporary but You are eternal. Give me courage to see my problems in the light of eternity, and remind me that nothing I face today can outlast You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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