Day 8
Scripture
focus: And to the angel of the church in Pergamum
write: “The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. I know where you
dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny
my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among
you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some
there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling
block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to
idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the
teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon
and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give
some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name
written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.”
Revelation
2:8-17
Application: Again, the message to this
church begins as the letter to the church in Smyrna did: the Lord knows. What a
comfort it is to recognize that there isn’t anything out of the purview of
God’s knowledge. Not one thing. There is no pain, no hardship, no circumstance
that the Lord is unaware of. He knows what is going on in our nation, He knows
what’s going on in our job. He knows what’s going on in our church. He knows
what is happening in our families. He knows even the state of our hearts. How
eye-opening is it that He knows when His people are living in the midst of
Satan, and leaves them there?
This goes
against what we tend to believe and pray for as God’s will. We want to be taken
out of the difficult situation. We want God’s rescue and healing. While God
does rescue and heal, He also works His will in and through us as we walk
through trials. It is by walking through the fire as we cling to God that we
are refined and our faith becomes stronger in us and used in a greater way for
God’s Kingdom. None of us would choose to walk through the fires of trial, but
when we do so holding fast to His name, His rescue and healing found on the
other side is more rewarding than if He’d saved us from those trials. He is
good all the time! Even when times aren’t good.
Then there are
those times we, or someone we love, live with, worship with, work with, doesn’t
hold fast to God’s name. And we tolerate it. As our culture has gradually moved
away from God, many ungodly values, thoughts, and ideas have crept into the
church. They were so subtle for so long that now they are becoming blatant and
we are shocked. This is the teaching of Balaam that Jesus refers to in this
letter. (The story of Balaam and Balak can be found in Numbers 22-25.) Balaam
agreed to take money from King Balak to curse the Israelites, but each time he
attempted to do so, God put blessings in his mouth. Since he wasn’t able to
curse God’s people outright, he devised a plan of subtle deception where he
used the Moabites to entice the Israelites to mix with them and take on their
false gods and sinful behavior. While we don’t have the details of how the
Israelites transitioned from faithfulness to idolatry, I imagine it was what we
would call a “slow fade” today. One small compromise followed by another, and
before they realized what they were doing, they were fully engulfed in pagan
worship and sin. We are just as susceptible to these small compromises and
overlooking the compromises of those around us. They sneak in through our
music, TV watching choices, things we read, time management, busyness, and in
so many other ways. God calls us instead to repent of any idols in our lives
and conquer over sin through His Word and His power.
Prayer: Lord God, the living, sharp
two-edged sword, thank You for Your mercy! You are always faithful even when we
are not. Your mercies are new every morning. You are slow to anger. Call me to
an uncompromising love of You and empower me to see and eliminate any idols
I’ve allowed to creep into my life. Thank You that You know my circumstances.
Remind me whenever I need it that it doesn’t matter where I live, not even in
the midst of Satan’s throne, but You know and are with me. Sustain me with the
Bread of Life. Keep my eyes fixed on You and on Your Kingdom to come. Refine my
heart to love You will all of my being. I praise You, Lord, for You alone are
King.
Reflection questions/prayer prompts:
How can I better let God’s Word act as a sword
in my heart, discerning my thoughts and intentions and refining them?
How can I use where I live, where I work, where
I learn, where I play, and where I worship to bring glory to God?
What trials or difficulties is God calling me to
surrender to His refining fire?
Lord, open my eyes to any stumbling blocks that
have been placed in my way on my journey of seeking You.
Are there any
compromises I’ve made that are hindering my spiritual growth and witness?
Father, help me evaluate every experience,
belief, and decision based on Your Word and Truth and not any other teaching.
What are You saying to me today, Lord? Help me
to hear Your voice.
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