"The 4th angel poured his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire; they were scorched by the fierce heat, but they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues, and they did not repent & give him glory."
(Revelation 16:8-9)
Near the end of the Book of Revelation, 7 angels appear with 7 bowls of plagues. This is the punishment for those who followed The Beast and not The Lamb. A lot has transpired over the course of this book. It's not the first time those who've opposed God have had to face some sort of consequences.
This particular "bowl of wrath" involves the sun's scorching heat oppressing folks. They curse God, who has authority over the sun (and over all the plagues, actually). That's kind of understandable, don't you think? They're experiencing discomfort, pain & suffering. It's a natural human response to want to curse. But it's the final line that catches my attention: "and they did not repent and give God glory."
Wow. That tells me that although it's a natural human response to want to curse, there is ANOTHER OPTION. When we experience discomfort, pain & suffering, we can choose instead to praise God! To repent & turn back to the Lord! Don't curse. Instead, look at it as an opportunity to draw close to the LORD. Revelation 16:9 implies that God would have accepted their repentance, even in the midst of the "bowls of wrath!" Wow. Can I see setbacks & trials as opportunities to draw closer to God? Or will I simply curse?
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