Revelation 10 begins with a vivid description of a “mighty angel” who, in my mind’s eye, is larger than life and terrifying in appearance.  He’s said to be wrapped in a cloud, have a rainbow over his head, have a face like the sun, and have legs that look like pillars of fire.  To add to this wild imagery, he stands with one foot on the sea and the other on the land.  He appears to be far larger than any human, beast, or being I know of.  Oh yeah, and his voice is super loud and sounds like a lion roaring.  Little scary, not gonna lie. 

So we see the picture, big scary angel so bright and blazing you can’t either look or look away. 

Fast forward a few verses.  Enter John. 

Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”  SO I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll.       Revelation 10:8-9

So. 

The voice from heaven said do it SO.  He said do it SO I did it.  Seems simple enough.  But is it?

I don’t seem to live like it’s so simple.  Actually, I feel like this theme keeps replaying.  He says do it SO.  So why is it so hard to do, and why don’t I just do it more often?  Forget how difficult I find it to hear Him in the first place! 

Now back to the beginning.  The one to whom John walked up and so authoritatively asked for the scroll was this same mighty angel we had so clearly pictured in our minds just moments ago.  He’s scary.  He’s huge.  He looks like he’s radiating heat and sounds like he could eat me whole.  And yet John just does it.  He was told to do it and SO he did.  It doesn’t even seem to matter that what he’s being asked to do is frightening or bizarre or unexplained or even life threatening.

Don’t know why I find this so fascinating, but I do.  Perhaps it’s envy because I long to have things be so simple in my obedience.  I can’t even seem to ‘SO’ do what He’s already plainly said to do much less the crazy little extras He likely asks of me daily.  

You speak, Lord.  We listen and hear You.  And SO we do what we’re told. 

Let’s aim for that, shall we.