Daily Devotion (February 5, 2025)
Revelation 3:19-22
3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Repentance and listening to the call of God. God permits us to go through times of trial so that they might become what He wants us to be.
We are to be passionately enthusiastic over the chastening of God. It may sound strange to get excited about God’s punishment, but we are reminded that God loves us.
Has the church locked Christ out. This passage has been used many times in witnessing to the lost. We must remember the letter is written to the church. Is Christ saying to the church He has been locked out. What about the individual Christian. Have we, ones who profess Christ as our Savior, locked Him out of our lives.
The Laodicean church was self-sufficient. They had what they needed, so it seemed. There was one thing missing though. They had lock Jesus out of their fellowship, their lives. The church that was active, had great fellowship among each other, “inspiring” worship services had the most important ingredient missing in their church. Jesus was locked outside.
Jesus must come before everything else in life. If Jesus is left out, then is He even a part of our lives. Do we relegate Jesus to just a part of our lives? If Christ is standing on the outside of our lives knocking to get in, then something is wrong in our lives. Are we truly receptive to Christ’s presence?
The idea that Christ may be standing outside, knocking, is indeed a powerful image that challenges us to examine our priorities and openness to His presence. It’s a reminder that we need to remain vigilant and humble, recognizing that self-sufficiency can easily lead to spiritual complacency.