Devotional 19 February 2025

Revelation 6:5-6 ESV “When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. [6] And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!”

We live in a world where it seems the rich grow richer while the poor struggle to survive. Prices rise, wages stagnate, and governments manipulate economies for their own gain. It seems as if corruption rules and justice is absent. But the Revelation of Jesus Christ reminds us of a greater truth—Jesus Christ, the Lamb, holds all power, even over the broken systems of this world.

The black horse brings economic hardship, yet it does not ride forth apart from Christ’s command. The scales in the rider’s hand symbolize scarcity and imbalance, but notice the limits set: “Do not harm the oil and wine.” Even in judgment, God restrains total devastation. This echoes Job 38:10-11, where God sets boundaries for the seas, declaring, “Thus far shall you come, and no farther.” No empire, no corrupt government, no failing economy can move beyond the limits God has set.

Wicked rulers may think they control the world, but Daniel 2:21 reminds us that “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings.” Even in times of economic distress, God’s people can trust in His provision. Just as He sustained Elijah in famine (1 Kings 17:6), so He will sustain us because he is the Bread of Life (John 6:35). Our hope is not in economies or governments, but in the Lamb who was slain and now reigns over all.

So take heart! Inflation, corruption, and scarcity are not the final word. Christ is. Though the world may seem unstable, the throne of God is unshaken. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). Come and see! In every season, He remains faithful, and His Kingdom will never fail.