May 10

Our Assent

saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” — Rev 7:12 BSB

“Amen” means, “So be it—certainly.” It is the word that is often translated as “verily” in the Gospels. It expresses the consent of the heart and the response of life. When we say “Amen,” we are agreeing with what has been spoken, with our hearts saying “Yes” to it, sealing it with our consent. Let your life say “Amen” to God, to His providence, to His redemption, and to the song of Heaven.

When life’s trials and perplexities make your mind dizzy and your heart sick, turn away from them and focus on the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—“Our Father”—from whom every ray of love in the universe flows. Remember that nothing comes from His hand that is not in perfect harmony with the tenderness of a loving earthly father toward his child. In this assurance, you can say: “Amen, Lord.”

We must not dwell on the dark, perplexing questions that swirl around us. Instead, lift your eyes to the blue sky of undimmed sunshine—the heart of our Father. He is love, beyond our deepest, most tender conceptions of love. Love is the essence and the law of His nature. The more you believe in the Father’s heart, the more you will be able to say “Yes” to His will, as rendered in Matthew 11:26: “Even so, Father.”

Our Lord did not only say, “Even so, Father,” but also, “I thank You.” One day, when the Church sees the final judgment of her great enemy, the redeemed will cry, “Amen, Hallelujah!” (Revelation 19:4). Today, we may only say “Amen” without fully understanding or celebrating, but in the age to come, we will combine both—assent and joy, submission to God’s will, and triumphant praise. Let us look forward to that time when we will know as we are known, when every shadow will be dispelled, and we will join in the hymn of the redeemed: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Your ways, O King of the Ages.”

Prayer

O God, though there are many things we fear, we are safely enclosed in You. Nothing can touch us except by Your permission, and if You allow things that seem evil to enter our lives, we trust that it must be for good. Help us believe that all things work together for our good. Amen.