Corona Devo 3028


Did you ever learn to take your own pulse? Either at the wrist, or by pressing on the vein in our upper (outer) neck: you can feel a heartbeat there...a pulse. Life, flowing through...steady, rhythmic: evidence of being alive.

But my faith-pulse has become very weak lately...has yours?

Not-so-strong, less sturdy, and hard to even discern. I can blame any number of things from stress, to busy-ness, to not enough hours in the day, but the fact remains that I have become a bit lukewarm in living for the Lord, and as a result, I have felt the Lord press a little harder, so that He (and I) might detect and find my faith pulse once again.

We are not really living (as the Lord intends us to) if our hearts are not beating for the Lord and His purposes, and we know it when we are spiritually-alive. We are full. We are incensed and instigated for His purposes, and there's no better fulfillment in (this) life. Riches, delicacies, travel, and fame---none of it compares to being in the service of our King. But all of that can distract us from Him.

We know it when we are spiritually-alive, but God knows it, and we do too--when our spirituality is lacking and slacking: we are not filled and fully alive.

I've been trying to find my spiritual-pulse lately, but it's been elusive to detect.
Sleep a little longer...and edge-out the morning's quiet time with God and His Word.
Become impatient and critical instead of intentional and love-filled with my loved ones.
Fill my time and mind with frivolity instead of Kingdom-intentionality.
All of this is evidence of me being lukewarm instead of on-fire for my Father, and he won't have it, and so He spoke to me about it.

If we can feel our pulse by pressing onto one of our veins, then we can hear God's voice by reading and pressing in to His Word, the Bible. And He has something to say.

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.

(15) I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! (16) So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.   ~Revelation 3:14-16

~~~

We are so sorry for our apathy, Lord. Forgive us for being lukewarm—neither hot nor cold for You. We have digressed and regressed, but with Your mercy and help, we can be revived in our mission and quickened in our pulse for pleasing You, Father. Amen.

These words of God may not be directed at you today, but they are a dagger into my heart, for sure.

Our first defense and reaction might be to question the authority and knowledge of the One who is accusing us of being lukewarm in our service to Him, but God qualifies who He is and His validity in the very first verse:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. ~Revelation 3:14

I cannot argue with God's description of Himself.  In fact, we can only marvel at it.  

Who speaks to us today?  Who disciplines our faith-walk and lectures our spiritual-laziness?  Whose words dare to chastise us?  These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation (Revelation 3:14).

That settles that.  

The Lord is our authority and He is in holy authority over us today.  The question that He asks us is, "Will we allow Him to be in holy authority over us today"?

And if so--get ready, for He has seen our half-way prayers and our after-thought spiritual intentions.  The Lord has noticed our cut-short Bible-readings and He has experienced our lack-of-harvest in the fruits of the spirit. 

(15) I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! (16) So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ~Revelation 3:15-16

There are worse verses in the Bible, but I can't think of one right now.
For our Lord to be so upset with our service to Him that He says this...it is disturbing, and revealing.
Our apathy, our lack of service and action for God, our lukewarm faith makes our Father sick.

We must make some changes today. And the Lord even leads us as to how. We have become comfortable and proud about all the wrong things. We are trusting and relying on created things instead of our Creator, and (God says), this just won't do. And nor will it fulfill. But we've been blinded by all of the baubles of this world.

God opens our eyes through His Word.
Make blind eyes see today, Lord. Make MY eyes see today, Father.

(17) You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. (18) I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.  ~Revelation 3:17-18

~~~

We've been lukewarm...we've been apathetic...and yet, we are never ready for discipline. Which of my children ever asked for a spanking or to lose a privilege?

But because I love and desire the best for our children...I rebuke and discipline them.
Our God is the same...and so much more. He brings a firm hand to us today, but good and Godly discipline is always coupled with an invitation to relationship.

(19) Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. (20) Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.  ~Revelation 3:19-20

The Lord is well aware of our lukewarm efforts and faith, and yet He extends a hand to us and He breathes resuscitation into us. He stands here at the ready for us. He's knocking on the door to our hearts.
What will we say?

I know what God hopes we will say, because He already has a reward in store for those who receive His discipline, and become victorious in Him.

(21) To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. (22) Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  ~Revelation 3:21-22

~~~

Has our faith-pulse weakened (become lukewarm) as of late? Not-so-strong, less sturdy, and hard to even discern?

God's noticed...and now we have too.

Let's press a little harder into our Lord and His Word, so that He (and we) might detect and find our faith pulse once again. With Christ (and only with Christ), we can be victorious today.. Let's have ears to hear today.

To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. (22) Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  ~Revelation 3:21-22


Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Corona Devo 1065

Image
It’s never too late to turn to the Lord.   And--it’s never too late to turn back to the Lord.   Do we GET IT?   King Hezekiah GOT IT.   The people in his area (Israel) had not been following the Lord, and they had fallen away from the (God-ordained) traditions that the Lord had designed to connect His people with Himself,  like going to church (Temple), and like celebrating the festival of Passover.  So they sent a proclamation throughout all Israel...inviting everyone to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the  Lord , the God of Israel. The people had not been celebrating it in great numbers as required in the Law ( 2 Chronicles 30:5). Hezekiah  invited the people back to church!  But how to get the word out? He  wrote letters of invitation to the people (2 Chronicles 30:1), but letters without delivery are dead messages.  Hezekiah needed to get the letters ... to God's people! At the king’s command, runners were...
Read more

Corona Devo 1063

Image
Ever been around boys (of any age)?  They don't concern themselves with talking about   other  boys...they are not (usually) comparative that way, and would prefer to be competitive instead.  They are often contented with jokes and sounds, rather than defaming other guys or discussing their shortfalls. But...ever been around women ( of any age )?  For some sinful reason, our conversations often seem to p ick-a-little, talk-a-little, pick some more and talk, talk, talk about other women.  We  simmer into a boil as we digress and regress into unbecoming chatter about   other  women.   It's a terrible habit and yet girls in elementary school don't need to be taught how and even elderly church biddies can't quite fully withdraw.  We all still fall to condemning others  from time to time.  We have this sinful draw to make ourselves feel good by chirping back and forth and making someone   else   feel bad. It's na...
Read more

Corona Devo 1064

Image
The earth is the   Lord ’s, and everything in it.   The world and all its people belong to him.   (2)  For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas  and built it on the ocean depths.   ~Psalm 24:1-2 We belong to Him, but also…our world belongs to Him: and  everything in it .   Everything.   Every tree and flower, every person, every pelican, everything. How are we responding to that glorious Truth today?   Can we praise Him today?  Can we acknowledge and absorb (and respond!) to the awesome Truth that we belong to Him :  the Creator of all things, and our Creator?   He laid the earth’s foundation ...and (even)  the earth  knows that it belongs to him ... Do we? Are we choosing to respond to Him today?   The trees do.    Looking out my window as I read these words of God, I saw these words  proven by God as n aked tree-branch arms were raised in praise of their Creat...
Read more