January 1: Blessed and Only Potentate | Lord God Omnipotent
Day 33 - Thursday, January 01
New Year’s Day
Title: Blessed and Only Potentate | Lord God Omnipotent
Scripture #1: 1 Timothy 6:15–16 (NKJV)
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
Scripture #2: Revelation 19:6–7 (NKJV)
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”
Poetry & Poet:
“When I Consider How My Light Is Spent”
by John Milton
When I consider how my light is spent,
Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest He returning chide;
"Doth God exact day-labor, light denied?"
I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need
Either man's work or His own gifts. Who best
Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best. His state
Is kingly: thousands at His bidding speed,
And post o'er land and ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand and wait."
The Lord God Omnipotent
New Year’s Day in our poet John Milton’s lifetime came on March the 25th. This tied it to the Feast of the Annunciation, nine months before the traditional celebration of Christmas. New Year and Christmas on this older Julian calendar were defined in relation to the incarnation of the eternal Son of God. Our January 1st is, alternatively, often taken to herald the birth of the new self, casting aside the old self of year’s end, and entering into the renewal of personal resolutions. Today our video montage and Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” very appositely lift our eyes, literally, to the heights of Jesus’ majesty even as we have been looking down into the humble manger some days ago. The words in our versions of Scripture offer the exotic “potentate” and “omnipotent” to describe God’s rule in and through Christ. These scriptural truths undergird the Orthodox tradition’s rendering of Christ the Pantocrator – the Ruler of All. The beautiful domes open up the believer’s eyes to glimpse heaven itself, frescos gesturing toward the “unapproachable light” of the triune God’s glory that is revealed in Jesus. The video closes with shots of Christ the Redeemer statues, with arms outstretched, in love for the world, in Poland, Portugal, and Brazil.
Perhaps you, like me and especially on New Year’s Day, need the Holy Spirit to continually prompt you to lift up your eyes from your own pre-occupations? To recognize and receive such ruling love in the hurly-burly of our life, calling, and culture?
Milton looks back at his prior life and forward to his expected years ahead as at service rendered that is no longer possible, his blindness meaning his talent can no longer be spent to earn a favorable judgment before God. Yet Patience personified, that much needed virtue at the frenetic excitement of resolutions and plans at the New Year, counsels Milton to heed God’s majesty and grace. God does not need any one person’s efforts or talents, but rather invites us to participate in his ruling work. Even we who can only presently “stand and wait” upon this master.
Back to the art, what is it to behold, through iconic representation, the wonder of the Lord Jesus’ rule over all things? What is it to long for the consummation and full revelation of that rule on the day of the wedding feast of the Lamb as our passage from Revelation holds forth? We stand in Christmastide in our Christian identity and on New Year’s Day by secular calendar. Like the poet, this is not our first day, whether or not we identify, as I do, with his middle-aged “’Ere half my days in this dark world and wide.” And yet it is a new day, a day of confession, a day for putting on Christ again, as a new convert. A day to desire to hear the commendation of “good and faithful servant” with what we have done with our Lord’s talent. The judgment of our days, by the secular calendar, marks relative success, stasis, or failure – we achieved our goals, grew our portfolio, built up our relationships, or we fell short, we messed up, we dysfunctioned spectacularly, or some combination of all these.
Yet - and with joyful Hallelujahs – so soon after celebrating the gift of God’s Son to us, we do not need to look to our New Year resolutions as the markers of our success. Rather we can rejoice that we are now held under the sway of the coming God in his majesty. We patiently participate in this rule as we hasten and wait for the coming of the kingdom that is precisely not determined by our own calendars and agenda, but by the glory of God’s mission. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Father God,
In your majesty and grace, by your Spirit, meet us this day, as every day, as we patiently wait for your kingdom to come in fullness. As you also daily invite us to, we pray that your rule would come in our midst as it is in heaven. Take up the middle of our lives today so that they are centered on the glory and wonder of your reigning Son, now and forever,
Amen
Andy Draycott
Professor of Theology
Talbot School of Theology
Biola University
Artwork used for the Thumbnail:
Last Judgment
Giotto DiBondone
1308
Fresco
1000 x 840 cm
Cappella Scrovegni Arena Chapel
Padua, Italy
CCCA Music Video: “And He Shall Reign Forever - The Hallelujah Chorus”
About the Artwork in the Music Video:
The otherworldly qualities of the majestic “Hallelujah Chorus,” one of the greatest works of art in the canon of western music, is coupled here with gigantic paintings of “Christ the Pantocrator,” “Lord of the Universe,” “Ruler of All,” or “Sustainer of the World.” For centuries it has been the practice in Eastern Orthodox churches and cathedrals throughout the world to place these large images of Christ in their churches’ domes, which soar high above the earthly spaces occupied by the congregations, indicating that the victorious Christ is, indeed, the center of all things. The video ends with images of colossal statues of Christ found in various international locations, towering above metropolises and visually proclaiming, “He shall reign forever and ever!”
About the Music: “Hallelujah Chorus” from the album The Messiah
About the Artwork in the Music Video:
The otherworldly qualities of the majestic “Hallelujah Chorus,” one of the greatest works of art in the canon of western music, is coupled here with gigantic paintings of “Christ the Pantocrator,” “Lord of the Universe,” “Ruler of All,” or “Sustainer of the World.” For centuries it has been the practice in Eastern Orthodox churches and cathedrals throughout the world to place these large images of Christ in their churches’ domes, which soar high above the earthly spaces occupied by the congregations, indicating that the victorious Christ is, indeed, the center of all things. The video ends with images of colossal statues of Christ found in various international locations, towering above metropolises and visually proclaiming, “He shall reign forever and ever!”
Lyrics:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever,
For ever and ever, forever and ever,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
And Lord of lords,
And He shall reign,
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings, forever and ever,
And Lord of lords,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords,
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
About the Composer:
George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) was a German baroque composer who spent the bulk of his career in London and became well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, and organ concertos. He was strongly influenced by the great composers of the Italian baroque and the middle-German polyphonic choral tradition. Musicologist Winton Dean writes that his operas show that "Handel was not only a great composer; he was a dramatic genius of the first order.” Handel’s Messiah was first performed in Dublin, Ireland, in April 1742 and received its London premiere nearly a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music. Handel's Messiah has been described by the early-music scholar Richard Luckett as "a commentary on Jesus Christ's Nativity, Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension," beginning with God's promises as spoken by the prophets and ending with Christ's glorification in heaven. The music for the Messiah was completed in only twenty-four days and Handel wrote the letters SDG (Soli Deo Gloria, “To God Alone the Glory”) at the end of the manuscript. There is a story told about Handel’s writing of the “Hallelujah Chorus.” It is said that Handel's assistant walked into Handel's room after shouting to him for several minutes with no response. The assistant reportedly found Handel in tears, and when asked what was wrong, Handel held up the score to this extraordinary chorus and said, "I thought I saw the face of God.” In many parts of the world, it is accepted practice for the audience to stand when the “Hallelujah” chorus is performed. The tradition is said to have originated with the first London performance of the Messiah, which was attended by King George II. As the first notes of the triumphant “Hallelujah” chorus rang out, the king was so moved that he rose to his feet and remained standing until the end of the chorus, initiating a tradition that has lasted well over two centuries. Indeed, the “Hallelujah” chorus is one of the most awe-inspiring pieces of music ever written.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiah_(Handel)
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-glorious-history-of-handels-messiah-148168540/
About the Librettist:
Charles Jennens (1700–1773) was a wealthy, reclusive English landowner and patron of the arts. Jennens attended Oxford University, where he formed his lifelong interest in music and literature and became a devout Anglican. As a friend of Handel, he helped author the libretti of several of his oratorios, most notably Messiah. Jennens' deep knowledge of the Bible and wide literary interest led him to prepare or contribute to many libretti for Handel, including Saul, L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, Messiah, Belshazzar, and possibly Israel in Egypt. It is also clear that, on occasion, Handel accepted Jennens' suggestions and improvements to his compositions. Their most famous collaboration is Jennens' libretto for Messiah, drawn entirely from the Bible. Musicologist Watkins Shaw describes it as "a meditation of our Lord as Messiah in Christian thought and belief” that "amounts to little short of a work of genius.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Jennens
About the Performers: London Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Choir
The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of the world's finest symphony orchestras, balancing a long and distinguished history with a reputation as one of the UK's most adventurous and forward-looking orchestras. The orchestra was founded by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1932, and since then has been headed by many of the great names in the conducting world, including Sir Adrian Boult, Bernard Haitink, Sir Georg Solti, Klaus Tennstedt, and Kurt Masur. The orchestra's current principal conductor is Vladimir Jurowski, who was appointed in 2007. The London Philharmonic Orchestra has been performing at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall in London since it opened in 1951. Having long been embraced by the recording, broadcast, and film industries, the London Philharmonic Orchestra broadcasts regularly on TV and radio. The orchestra also works with the Hollywood and UK film industries, and has been recording soundtracks for over half a century.
https://www.lpo.org.uk/
London Philharmonic Choir was founded in 1947 as the chorus for the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO). Working under esteemed conductors such as Boulez, Elder, Gardner, Gatti, Haitink, Jurowski, Masur, Nézet-Séguin, Norrington, Rattle, Solti, Tennsted, and Welser-Möst, the choir has performed regularly with the LPO and other world-class orchestras at major venues and festivals throughout the years. From time to time, the choir tours abroad—recently to Budapest, Paris, Lucerne, Rome, Athens, Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Canary Islands, and further afield to Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, and Perth. In January 2004 they were invited to sing in the Vatican’s Papal Concert of Reconciliation. They have also built up an impressive discography throughout their history and continue to participate in recording for CD, radio, and television.
https://lpc.org.uk/about-the-choir/
About the Poetry & Poet:
John Milton (1608–1674) was an English poet and intellectual who served as a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under its Council of State and later under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote at a time of religious flux and political upheaval, and is best known for his epic poem “Paradise Lost.” After university, he abandoned his plans to join the priesthood and spent several years in his father's country home in Buckinghamshire following a rigorous course of independent study to prepare himself for a career as a poet. During his period of private study, Milton composed a number of poems, including "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity," "On Shakespeare," "L'Allegro," "Il Penseroso," and the pastoral elegy "Lycidas." Milton served as secretary for foreign languages in Cromwell's government, composing official statements defending the Commonwealth. After the restoration of Charles II to the throne in 1660, Milton was arrested as a defender of the Commonwealth, fined, and then released. He lived the rest of his life in seclusion in the country, completing the blank-verse epic poem Paradise Lost in 1667, as well as its sequel, Paradise Regained, and the tragedy Samson Agonistes, both in 1671. Paradise Lost, which chronicles Satan's temptation of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from Eden, is widely regarded as his masterpiece and one of the greatest epic poems in world literature.
https://poets.org/poet/john-milton
About the Devotion Author:
Andy Draycott
Professor of Theology
Talbot School of Theology
Biola University
Trained in Christian Ethics and Political Theology, Andy Draycott has become a leading authority on the reception history of John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678/1684). He is on the Executive Committee of the International John Bunyan Society. He is co-editor of The Pilgrim’s Progress for the Norton Library series (2025) and author of Into the Pilgrimverse (2025). His articles and chapters have dealt with graphic novels, book covers, illustrations, and Bible studies drawing upon this spiritual classic. Besides an integration seminar on his specialism, he also teaches Systematic Theology, and Gospel, Kingdom, and Culture.