..." Worthy
is the Lamb
that was slain
to receive power,
and riches,
and wisdom,
and strength,
and honour,
and glory,
and blessing."
" AMEN"
Revelation 5:12-14
Some words lose their significance from sheer use.
Amen is one.
The painting on the right is one of many that I've created inspired by this single word—Amen.
If only people understood the power of agreeing with God, they would declare Amen with the actions of their lives. Our world would then be flooded by His peace and blessing.
I want my life to be a continual Amen to whatever pleases Him. Getting to know Him by obeying His commands, and the undeniable results of such actions of faith, have made my life one glorious adventure of discovery!
No one can take away what I learn about Him—it belongs to me, rich treasure, gained in the daily grind of life from applying what I gleaned from the pages of the Bible. God wont disappoint by acting in a manner that is contrary to His words. How thankful I am for His unchanging nature!
Life is to be lived on His terms, not mine. Responding to His voice with Amen is my objective. However, despite my best intentions, my actions don't always reflect that desire. Easily swayed by the actions of others around me, I tend to be distracted by the trivial, and find myself sometimes lazy in the pursuit. Yet, if I press on, I'm promised to get better at walking by faith and not by sight. That is a lifetime aspiration.
"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." 2 Corinthians 1: 20
Imagine that! God makes more promises than anyone could exhaust in one lifetime, covering every conceivable need. And this verse declares that ALL those promises are YES in Jesus, and Amen! Granted! Amen is the conduit, for He promises that His glory will flow through us to a troubled world.
When I want to experience the sheer magnificence of Amen, in a medium other than the written words of the Bible, I turn to music. George Frederick Handel's timeless work of genius, the Messiah is one of my favorites. In it, Worthy is the Lamb, concludes with the powerful Amen.
As the notes fill my studio, the wind swept squeaks of an overgrown Yaupon's branches against the window are drowned out by the sheer force of the music. My surroundings are transformed and my spirit is engaged in a manner that only music can trigger.
My hands cannot help but worship resulting in visual praise on paper, canvas or clay! No longer surrounded by jars of water, old rags or tubes of paint, in my imagination I've escaped to a cathedral with a zillion mullioned windows spilling color in dazzling patterns around me! My heart soars in the holy act of worship. Handel's Messiah does that to me—every time!
Amen is more than just a religious term slapped on at the end of a prayer request.
When used at the start of a sentence, it means "Surely!" " Verily" or "Truly!" However, we're most familiar with it's use at the end of a sentence. Then it means "So be it!"— agreement with the words that preceded it.
Amen is like a royal seal, which when spoken in agreement with God, grants Him the legal right to intervene on our behalf. It is the RSVP to His invitation. I think of the countless times I've mouthed it in prayer and remember with gratitude the blessings that ensued. They fill me with awe! God always joined me upon my Amen to do what I could not—meet my helplessness with His power.
Obviously one cannot tack Amen on at the end of just any prayer and hope for a good outcome. Agreement in submission with the divine is at the heart of this word.
It is only then that marvelous synchronicity occurs between heaven and earth, the divine and mortal flesh, to accomplish God's will on earth.
Bible scholars place great emphasis on a principle called the Law of First Mention. The earliest appearances of a word in the biblical text is carefully considered to glean understanding of the importance of that word and its nuances. In that regard, Amen is surprising because it does not show up first in verses that I would've expected.
I could see myself emphatically saying "Amen, so be it!" upon the declaration of the promises of blessings.
Instead, the earliest appearances of Amen are at the end of declarations of curses! There are a string of curses listed in Deuteronomy 27 for those who disobey God followed by "Amen." They serve as a warning to not glibly speak it without serious consideration of its gravity.
Here is one example warning us against worshipping the works of our hands.
‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.' “And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen!' Deuteronomy 27:15
In the New Testament the first mention of Amen is in the prayer taught by Jesus, fondly referred to as the Lord's prayer, ushering in a new covenant and kingdom.
"And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen" Matthew 6: 13
With Amen sealing our decision of faith comes the gracious empowering from God for every challenge. He never requires anything from us without also generously supplying the means to meet it. We step out in faith— and when we do, He's always there to help.
What are you waiting for? Life can be so fulfilling , even with the inescapable challenges, if we partner with God and declare in faith, "May your purposes for my life be fulfilled, Amen."
Don't just say it, live it.
Ask for help to steer clear of the curses and to walk in the blessings.
Use your gifts to declare Amen to His goodness in your life.
Employ every resource gifted to you, from your breath gifted at the start of each day to your talents, infused with the capacity to grow. He is faithful to guide you, if you but ask.
Amen
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