Listen to the Spirit (Rev. 2:17)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR

02/25/2005

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  Listen to the Spirit

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Revelations 2:17

 

            Message of the verse:  17 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’  (NAS95)  17 “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Everyone who is victorious will eat of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.”  (NLT) 

            Jesus Christ ends each letter to these churches in a similar way by saying that” he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  Believers should be open to what the Spirit is saying to them, and listening to Him by staying in His Word, and going to church, and be praying and looking for what the Spirit is saying.  This also could mean that each believer should read these verses that apply to the churches in this book of Revelations, so that they will know what pleases the Lord and what does not please Him.  The overcomers are true believers, and manna was food given to Israel when they were in the wilderness as their food.  Some of the believers at Pergamos were eating food sacrificed to idols, which they should have never done and this could be the reason Christ spoke about the manna.  These believers needed to feast on the Word of God, the manna of God.  A pot of manna was put into the Ark of the Covenant and this represented God’s throne on earth, while some of those in Pergamos were worshiping at Satan’s throne, they should be worshiping at the throne of God.  As for the white stone there are a number of things that this could represent, among them is that in those days it was used by a judge to vote for an acquittal for a person on trial, and as believers this could represent Jesus Christ who is the Judge who paid for the sin of all in the world who will accept His forgiveness.  This stone was also used for admission into a feast, and all true believers are invited to a feast in heaven with the Lord one day.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  On many occasions Jesus Christ said in His Word to listen, and this means to me that when Jesus Christ tells me to listen that I should listen to Him.

 

The Word of God was very challenging to my heart as I read it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  To keep my eyes on Jesus Christ as I go through these storms of live, and to listen to what the Spirit has to say to me.