The First and the Last Word

This week, we’ve been learning about the ultimate weapon for fighting life’s battles: the sword of the Spirit from the word of God.  

Let’s set the tone for the rest of today’s devotional with prayer.

Lord, when I find myself drowning in the overwhelming circumstances of life, give me the wisdom and clarity to seek You. While my battles seem daunting, give me peace, Lord, in knowing that Jesus has already won eternity’s battle. Help me to rest peacefully in the knowledge that You are in control. You have spoken the first word and have already uttered the last. Help me to carry out my role simply to trust You, obey You, and love You, Lord. Amen.

Revelation 1:12-18 (NLT)
12 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. 13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living one. I died, but look — I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

Upon getting the chance to write this devo, I could not help but peruse the Internet to learn a bit more about the history of the “mic drop.” According to the often-reliable folks at Wikipedia, the first version of the “mic drop” possibly came from a Swedish journalist in 1734, with the words “as I now throw down my pen,” typeset in a slanted manner for proper emphasis.

In the 1970s and ‘80s, rappers, comedians, and rock singers began dropping the mic as a way to signify their words were the last that needed to be spoken on the matter. It was in this timeframe that the mic drop became a symbol of the mic dropper’s complete confidence in the inability of anyone else to add worthwhile sentiments. The mic drop reached new heights when, during his presidency, Barack Obama dropped the mic on several occasions to end a presentation, a far cry from slanted typeset indeed!

A display of cheeky arrogance and superiority, the mic drop is a very human maneuver. It indicates a perceived intellectual superiority and relational power over others, which, of course, is the appealing stuff of human daydreams.
 
Have you ever replayed conversations in hindsight, where you imagine yourself delivering a debate-ending comment to put yourself in a coveted “mic drop” authority position? How is this different from taking a God-focused approach to the same conversation?

As we look at today’s scripture, one thing becomes clear: Jesus Christ, who came to this earth, lived a sinless life, conquered death, and created a pathway for the salvation of all sinful humans in the history of the world, clearly accomplished the single greatest mic drop moment in history.

When you find yourself in overwhelming spiritual circumstances, do you seek your own mic drop moment of triumph? Or do you give up serving yourself, to serve the ultimate champion over death, the Creator of the universe who has already spoken the last word?

In John 19:30, when Jesus said from the cross, “It is finished,” it really was. There was and is no more that needs to be said. The great irony of this, of course, is that He really has no need (or interest in) anything as trivial as a mic drop because He is, well…Jesus. We capitalize His pronouns, after all, and for good reason. Jesus has already fought the battle and won, for eternity. He had the first and the last word. End of story. Mic drop.

Here are some prompts to help us end this time in prayer.

Lord, grant me the understanding to use Your word as the ultimate tool for fighting my spiritual battles.

Father, fill me with Your Holy Spirit to guide me through the trials of life, and help me trust You, knowing the real battle is already won.

I sincerely hope you rejoice in this day crafted for you by our Lord.