Majesty and Splendor
Reader Advisory:
This work reflects upon the quiet burdens, unseen pressures, and everyday struggles that can weigh heavily upon the human spirit, often reaching beyond what others can see or understand. Yet even in weary hours, this is not the end of the story. There is still hope.
The world had grown louder.
Wildfires blackened distant skies.
Storms crossed places that once felt safe, along with other events that quietly deepened the unease people carried each day.
A woman stood alone in her kitchen, coffee cooling beside her while the television murmured through another cycle of outrage and confusion.
Her phone vibrated.
Johnny needed to be picked up from soccer practice.
Life kept moving.
She no longer believed much of what flickered across the television.
Cynicism had become easier than hope.
Yet somehow she kept returning to the Lord.
And over time, she began to feel that God had led her there long before she understood why.
At first, Scripture felt distant to her.
Too large.
Too mysterious.
Too difficult to understand.
Revelation overwhelmed her most of all:
eyes like fire,
crowns beyond number,
heaven opening,
a robe dipped in blood.
She used to avoid those passages.
They felt too immense for ordinary people trying to survive ordinary life.
Pick up Johnny.
Come home.
Fix dinner.
Vacuum the living room.
Go to bed.
Then wake up and do it all again.
But lately, when she opened the pages again, something felt different.
The words no longer felt distant.
They felt alive.
The room grew still.
Not empty.
Still.
As though heaven itself had drawn near enough to breathe beside her.
And suddenly the Christ revealed in glory no longer felt distant from suffering.
The King wore many crowns, yet still carried the marks of sacrifice.
His robe was dipped in blood.
Not weakness.
Not defeat.
Love.
Love for the weary.
Love for the wandering.
Love for souls worn thin by the noise of the world.
The same One revealed in majesty
was the same One who once walked among the wounded.
The same One who spoke gently to the suffering woman who had touched His hem,
seeking refuge from the world and its daily wear upon the soul.
And somewhere between the fire, crowns, and thunder, she finally understood:
Revelation was not only about fear or judgment, but the majesty, grace, and authority of the One who stood above it all.
He is above all authority, power, and dominion.
— Ephesians 1:21
Above fear.
Above chaos.
Above the endless noise exhausting the world below.
Outside, evening frost gathered silently along the kitchen window.
Her coffee had gone cold.
Johnny still needed to be picked up.
Life would continue tomorrow.
But for the first time in years,
her heart was no longer troubled.
And before going to bed, she prayed quietly, thanking the Lord — the King of Kings.
Author’s Note:
If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out. In the U.S., call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Help is available 24/7.
