May We See
I am a little out of sync this week, Father. Help me this morning to grasp Your message for me this day. Amen.
Revelation 3:17-19 (<<click the green)
Lord, I am grateful for individuals and companies who have put together study Bibles that help us to see the bigger picture. You, Lord, open our eyes to Your truth but You also use scholars to bring forth concepts and historical data that flesh out Your word. I remember my first NIV Student Study Bible in college. Later I got an NIV Study Bible (which I still use for Bible study at church) and I use my NLT Life Application Study Bible for my personal study time.
Case in point – the historical background my LASB brings out really expanded my understanding of this particular passage. Here’s a portion of the passage and then the paragraph from verse 18:
17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.
“Laodicea was known for its great wealth; Christ told the Laodiceans to buy their gold from him (real spiritual treasures). The city was proud of its cloth and dyeing industries; Christ told them to buy white garments from him (his righteousness). Laodicea prided itself on its precious eye ointment that treated many eye problems; Christ told them to but ointment for their eyes so they could see the truth (John 9:39). Christ was showing the Laodiceans that true value was not in material possessions but in a right relationship with God. Their possessions and achievements were valueless compared with the everlasting future of Christ’s kingdom.”
Lord Jesus, are not we in the same predicament? We think we have it all together – we’ve got everything we need and we don’t need anyone else to help us – especially God! But we, too, are “wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” May we see the state we are in and look to You, Lord. You still fulfill our need! Amen.
Aug 2nd, Wed, 5:42 am
Lukewarm? Bleh….
Father, I am up a little earlier than usual this morning in that sitting down to write yesterday just didn’t happen. Help me to focus and to be productive this morning. May this whole day from beginning to end be guided by You. Amen.
Revelation 3:14-16 (<<click the green)
Lukewarm…not very beneficial or tasteful on any front. Most of us, Lord, if we are familiar with any of the churches to which You communicated here at the beginning of Revelation, have heard of Laodicea. And with that name, we associate the word lukewarm – neither hot nor cold.
Thinking of beverages or food, at least in our culture, we often like them piping hot or ice cold. We like having our coffee topped off so it’s nice and hot. Fresh iced tea is wonderful but often the fresher it is the more quickly it melts the ice – “Can we have a glass of ice, please?”
My study Bible* shares that one of Laodicea’s big problems was its water supply. “At one time an aqueduct was built to bring water to the city from hot springs, but by the time the water reached the city, it was neither hot nor refreshingly cool – only lukewarm. The church had become as bland as the tepid water that came into the city.”
Lord, may I never be content with being lukewarm for it doesn’t bring satisfaction to You or anyone with whom I come in contact. My faith needs to be hot. It must be fresh from continued interaction with You. It needs to radiate the warmth of Your love. It needs to be vital and alive.
My interactions with others should also be as a cup of cool water on a scorching hot day. Others are thirsting for Your refreshing presence in their lives and many times they don’t even know what they are craving, trying this and that to quench their thirst – to no avail.
Lord, use me to touch the lives of others, giving them what they need of You. May I not be bland. May I not be lukewarm. May I make known to them the warmth of Your love and the refreshing coolness of Your compassion. Amen.
Aug 1st, Tues, 5:44 am
Maintenance Required
Father, yesterday was a little unusual but thank You for the opportunities given. The day did not pan out as I had planned but Your will was done and that is all the better!
One home project I was able to see to completion yesterday was to clear out some brush that had been encroaching onto our driveway. I had done it some time ago but it had grown a good four feet into where we park (see picture above – darker limestone is where the brush had grown over!). The maintenance was a long time coming.
Lord, as we examine our spiritual lives we realize that kind of laxity can have a lot more impact than a loss of parking space. It is easy to let things begin to encroach upon our time with You – things that are not bad in and of themselves but take up space and time that are more effectively used otherwise.
Prayer is an essential part of our relationship with You but so often we crave that 30 more minutes of shut eye or we get caught up in the latest Facebook posts from friends and families. What is more important?
Reading and thinking on Your Word gives us a depth and understanding to carry us through the many ups and downs of life but to carve out one more slot of time in the morning seems to be an insurmountable challenge. And forget about trying to do it before bed, we’re worn out and ready to drop. But again…what is more important?
Lord, we require maintenance. To accomplish what You need of us, we must keep communication lines open. The clutter of the non-essentials of life can not only slow it down but it can sometimes bring it to a grinding halt.
Help me, Lord, to clear out the obstructions. Help me to create the most needed time in my schedule for time with You – not just quantity but quality time. Give me a burning desire for what is truly important. Amen.
July 30th, Sun, 6:32 am
Same Old, Same Old
I’ve been up for a bit but finally settled down for some time together, Father. I pray that I will hear what You would have to share with me this day. May I give You my undivided attention. Amen.
Revelation 3:12-13 (<<click green)
Sometimes life here on earth gets old. As King Solomon is credited with writing in Ecclesiastes 1:8-9,
8 Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.
9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.
Now I don’t want to be ungrateful for what You have given us, Lord. And truly the only redeeming factors in everyday life are the blessings which You so generously pour upon us. But the routines of life can become wearying.
The craving for something new, something different, can wreak havoc in our lives. We grow tired of our jobs, our homes, our vehicles, our friends, our spouses…much to our shame. We cast them aside and move on to the next thing. Much like children, we grow tired of toys we have and desire new ones, different ones.
Lord, help us to be content with the things we have. Help us to grow up. May we love and cherish the blessings You have given us. The new will come if we are faithful. And if we are faithful, we will be victorious!
This passage in Revelation speaks clearly of some of the “new” we will experience. We will have citizenship in the “new Jerusalem” (more on this when we get to chapter 21). And something that I’ve never realized before, Lord, You will write Your “new name” on us!
In reading the study helps on Biblegateway.com, specifically the MacArthur Study Bible notes, I read, “At the moment we see Christ, whatever we may have called Him and understood by that name will pale in the reality of what we see. And He will give us a new, eternal name by which we will know Him.”
Lord, I yearn for the day when the routines of life will be something left behind. What a glorious day it will be when we live with You in Your re-created world and when we will have your “new name”! May I be faithful! Amen.
July 27th, Thurs, 7:00 am
Obedience in the Little Things
A quiet morning to sit with You Father is definitely the best way to start my day!
Revelation 3:8-11 (<<click the green)
Lord, in the big picture of Your kingdom so often we feel small and weak. There are some big players out there and here we are in our little corner, doing our little thing. Do we make a difference? Yes, we do!
Too often we think of spiritual things in a worldly framework. We are tempted to compare size and numbers and money and results. But as You spoke to the Philadelphians You realized that they had “little strength” but You commended them for their obedience and not denying You
We cannot measure our success in Your kingdom with earthly measurements. We cannot always see what You see. What we may deem as small and insignificant, You may see as having great eternal impact. An old song comes to mind and it is still as applicable today. The third verse and refrain of “Little Is Much When God Is in It” by Kittie L. Suffield go like this,
Does the place you’re called to labor
Seem so small and little known?
It is great if God is in it,
And He’ll not forget His own.
Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame;
There’s a crown, and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ name.
We are not called to bring about great results according to our definitions; we are called to obey. “Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown.” verse 11. Oh, Lord, may it be so.
July 25th, Tues, 6:41 am