14th-20th September 2026
At the start of September we began our new tied series, ‘What the Spirit Says’, in which we are considering the first three chapters of Revelation. Each week we have been considering Jesus’ words to John and the seven churches. Words of encouragement and praise, but also of correction and rebuke, and asking, as we reflect, what the Spirit might be saying to us as Glenabbey through his Word, both individually and corporately.
At the beginning of this series, we were given a remarkable vision of Jesus. Before Jesus speaks to the seven churches about their faithfulness, their struggles or the things that need to change, John is first shown who Jesus is.
That order matters and I love it because it reminds me to ‘Seek first’ his kingdom!
It is easy to approach the Christian life by concentrating on what we should be doing. We think about praying more, reading the Bible more consistently, serving faithfully or trying harder to change. And although these things are not bad in themselves, lasting spiritual renewal does not begin with looking more closely at ourselves. It begins with seeing Jesus more clearly and responding to that fresh vision and awakening.
The Jesus revealed in Revelation 1 is alive, glorious and sovereign. He is present among his churches and knows what his people are facing. He is the good shepherd, who knows his sheep by name!
John is overwhelmed by what he sees, yet Jesus reaches out, places his hand upon him and tells him not to be afraid because Jesus is greater than John or each of us can fully comprehend, but at the same time he is not distant from us. The Lord is near!
This week gives us an opportunity to return to Revelation 1, reflect more deeply on what we have heard and allow this vision of Jesus to shape our worship, our prayers and the way we live in the coming days, weeks, months and years.
Written by David Mairs
MONDAY
A Revelation of Jesus
The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
Revelation 1:1–3
For many people, Revelation is one of the most difficult books in the Bible. Its unfamiliar images and dramatic language can leave us wondering whether we will ever understand it properly.
Some people become absorbed in trying to interpret every detail. Others quietly avoid the book altogether. Yet the opening words remind us that Revelation was given to reveal rather than conceal. At the centre of this book is not a complicated timetable of future events but a person: Jesus Christ.
The first readers of Revelation were living through uncertain and unsettling times. They needed to know that Jesus was alive, present among his people and sovereign over everything they were facing.
We need that same vision.
When life feels uncertain, we naturally want answers. We want to know what will happen, how things will work out and whether the people we love will be all right. God does not always give us every answer we want, but he continually draws our attention back to Jesus.
Our greatest security is not found in knowing everything that lies ahead. It is found in knowing the one who holds the future.
Pause and Reflect
What questions or uncertainties are taking up the most space in your thoughts?
What might change if you deliberately turned your attention towards Jesus today?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you that you have made yourself known to us through Jesus. When I become distracted by questions I cannot answer or circumstances I cannot control, help me to turn my attention towards him. Open my eyes to see Jesus more clearly and give me confidence to trust him with what lies ahead. Amen.
TUESDAY
Loved and Freed
John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Revelation 1:4–6
It is remarkably easy to measure our relationship with God by how well we think we are doing. When we have prayed regularly, made wise choices or served faithfully, we may feel reasonably confident. When we have struggled, failed or become distracted, we can begin to wonder whether God has become disappointed with us.
John begins somewhere very different. Before addressing the condition of the churches, he reminds them of what Jesus has already done. Jesus loves his people and, through his death, has freed them from their sins.
The order matters. We are not loved because we have made ourselves worthy. We do not earn our place with God by getting everything right. We are invited to respond to a love that has already been shown to us.
This does not mean that our choices are unimportant. The letters to the churches will make that very clear. It means that obedience grows out of knowing that we are loved and that we belong to Jesus.
Perhaps today we need to stop measuring the strength of God’s love by the strength of our own performance. Our confidence rests in the faithfulness of Jesus, who loves us and has given himself for us.
Pause and Reflect
Are you tempted to measure God’s love by how well you think you are doing?
How might remembering that you are already loved shape the way you live today?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you that your love does not depend upon my ability to prove myself. Thank you for Jesus, who gave himself to free me from my sin and bring me into your family. When I become discouraged by my sinfulness, weakness and mistakes, remind me that I belong to you and you are at work in me. Help me to live today in grateful response to your love. Amen.
WEDNESDAY
God Holds the Whole Story
“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 1:7–8
Most of us can cope with uncertainty for a short time. What we find harder is living with uncertainty that does not resolve quickly. We wait for test results. We wonder how a difficult family situation will unfold. We carry concerns about work, finances, health or the future. Sometimes we live with questions that have no immediate answers.
At such times, our thoughts can become dominated by whatever feels most pressing today. Revelation draws our attention to a much bigger reality. God is the one who is, who was and who is to come. He is not confined to the moment we are presently experiencing. He sees what we cannot see and holds together what we cannot understand.
That does not mean we will always know why something has happened. Nor does it remove the pain of waiting. It reminds us that uncertainty in our lives does not mean there is uncertainty in God. We may not know how the next chapter will unfold, but our story has not slipped beyond his care.
Pause and Reflect
Where are you finding it difficult to live with uncertainty?
What would it mean to place that situation into the hands of the God who sees the whole story?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you see what I cannot see and understand what I cannot understand. When my thoughts become consumed by uncertainty, remind me that my life is held within your care. Give me patience as I wait, peace when questions remain unanswered and confidence that you are present in every part of my story. Amen.
THURSDAY
Meeting God in Difficult Places
I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”
Revelation 1:9–11
John did not receive this vision while life was comfortable or straightforward. He was on the island of Patmos because of his faithfulness to Jesus. His circumstances involved separation, restriction and suffering. Yet it was there, in a place he would never have chosen, that he encountered God in a remarkable way.
We sometimes imagine that difficult circumstances prevent us from experiencing God’s presence. I know that has often been my first thought. When life is interrupted by illness, grief, disappointment or exhaustion, it can feel as though everything familiar has been taken from us and yet strangely it is in those moments, when we cry out to God, that his presence becomes more real!
John’s experience reminds us that God is not limited by the circumstances in which we find ourselves. He can meet us in a hospital waiting room, an unsettled home, an unfamiliar season or the quiet loneliness of a difficult day.
This does not make the hardship itself good, nor does it mean we should pretend that pain is easy to carry. It means that suffering cannot place us beyond the reach of God’s presence. We may not have chosen where we find ourselves today, but we can still ask God to meet us there.
Pause and Reflect
Is there a difficult place or circumstance in which you need to become more aware of God’s presence?
How might you make space to recognise his presence today?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you that there is nowhere I can go beyond the reach of your presence. Meet me in the places I would not have chosen and in the circumstances I cannot easily change. When I feel isolated, weary or uncertain, remind me that you are near. Help me to recognise your presence even when life is difficult. Amen.
FRIDAY
Jesus Among His Churches
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. … “The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”
Revelation 1:12–16, 20
When John turns to see who is speaking to him, he sees Jesus standing among seven golden lampstands. Later, we are told that these lampstands represent the seven churches. The image is significant. Jesus is not standing at a distance, observing his people from somewhere far removed. He is present among them. He knows the reality of their lives. He sees their faithfulness and failures, their fears and compromises, their perseverance and weariness. That is both comforting and challenging.
It is comforting because Jesus sees what others may never notice: the prayer offered quietly, the kindness shown without recognition and the burden carried behind a composed appearance.
It is challenging because he also sees beneath the surface. He knows when activity has replaced love, when compromise has become familiar or when outward appearances no longer reflect what is happening within.
Yet his presence is not simply about assessment. It is evidence that he has not abandoned his people. He remains involved, attentive and ready to speak. As a church, we do not need to manufacture the presence of Jesus. We need to recognise that he is already among us and become more attentive to what he is saying.
Pause and Reflect
What difference does it make to know that Jesus is present among his churches?
What might he be inviting you and us as a church to notice more honestly?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you that Jesus is present among his people, my brothers and sisters, and knows us completely. Help us to recognise his presence and listen to his voice. Where we have become distracted, complacent or discouraged, draw us back to him. Give us honesty to face what needs to change and confidence that you have not abandoned us. Amen.
SATURDAY
Do Not Be Afraid
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
Revelation 1:17–18
John had known Jesus during his earthly ministry. He had listened to his teaching, shared meals with him and witnessed his death and resurrection. Yet when he sees the risen and glorified Jesus, he falls at his feet. What happens next is deeply reassuring. Jesus does not leave John lying there in fear. He reaches out, places his hand upon him and tells him not to be afraid.
There is something important here about the character of Jesus. His glory does not make him distant. His authority does not make him unapproachable. The one who holds the keys of death and the grave is also the one who comes near to a frightened friend.
We may not experience fear in the same dramatic way as John, but many of us carry quieter fears. We worry about our health, our families, the future or whether we will have the strength to face what lies ahead. Jesus does not dismiss our fears or shame us for feeling them. He meets us in them.
His invitation is not to pretend there is nothing frightening in life. It is to remember that we do not face what frightens us without him.
Pause and Reflect
What fear are you carrying today?
How does the picture of Jesus reaching towards John speak into that fear?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you know the fears I carry, including those I rarely put into words. Thank you that Jesus is not distant when I feel anxious or overwhelmed. Help me to remember that the one who reigns over all things also comes near with compassion. Give me courage to place my fears into your hands and trust that I do not face them alone. Amen.
SUNDAY
Seeing Jesus Afresh
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
Revelation 1:12–18
As we have returned to the vision of Jesus at the beginning of Revelation, we have been reminded that he loves us and has freed us from sin. He holds the whole story, meets us in difficult places, stands among his churches and comes near when we are afraid.
Perhaps one particular image or truth has stayed with you. Perhaps you have been reminded of something you already knew but needed to hear again. Or perhaps, as we have reflected on Revelation 1 this week, it has helped you see something about Jesus that you had previously overlooked.
John’s circumstances did not immediately change after he received this vision. He remained on Patmos. The churches continued to face opposition, temptation and uncertainty. What changed was the perspective from which John and the churches could view those circumstances. They were invited to see everything in the light of who Jesus is.
That is where we finish this week. We may still carry unanswered questions, unresolved situations and burdens that have not disappeared. But we carry them knowing that Jesus is alive, present with his people and sovereign over all things.
Pause and Reflect
What has stayed with you most from Revelation 1?
How might a clearer vision of Jesus shape the way you face the coming week?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for all that Revelation 1 shows us about Jesus. Help me not to lose sight of him amid the pressures and distractions of everyday life. Deepen my confidence in his presence, strengthen my trust in his authority and renew my sense of wonder at his glory. As I seek to follow you in my everyday life, help me to see my circumstances in the light of who Jesus is. Amen.