October 22 – Revelation 2:8-11
Dear Lord God, we come before You in worship and praise, for You are the orchestrator of Your creation. Be with us as we spend time with You, and guide us to what You want to show us.
I love Jesus’ initial declaration of Who He is in His words to the Church in Smyrna. He’s the First and the Last, the one who was dead but who now lives. The One speaking to them is that powerful – He is God Himself.
I tell you. I read about Smyrna, and I grieve for them. They had it rough, didn’t they? They were suffering and in poverty. They were being opposed by the Jews in a certain synagogue there, so even those who ought to have been kind because they were supposed to be worshiping the same God were not kind at all. In addition, they are told here in this letter that it’s not going to get better. Some of them are going to get thrown into prison. And they will also suffer there, to the point of dying for their faith. Yikes. This is not a message I would want to hear. And yet …
Jesus commends the richness of their lives of faith! They might look poor and in miserable straits, but actually? They were faithful to the Living God. Their torment would be short, and their reward would be a crown of life and no fear of harm of a second death. God has a special and tender place in His heart for those who are martyred – who loved Him so deeply they chose death over betraying His Name. So. When we meet the people from Smyrna in Heaven? It will be a great honor, and they will be absolutely fine and filled with joy. I am sure of it!
My verse: Revelation 2:11, “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.”
My response: I love how this verse is directed to me and to the millions of Christ followers who read it. We must listen to Your Spirit and understand the truths in these letters to the churches. And if we behave like the people of the Church of Smyrna, we, too, will not be harmed by the second death. Thank You, Lord, for this message … to me today.
What’s next?
As the Spirit leads, share what He has laid on your heart in the comment section below. Then join us again tomorrow for the next commentary.
