July 7 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Revelation 3:14-22:

¹⁴And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
¹⁵I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
¹⁶So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
¹⁷Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
¹⁸I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.
¹⁹As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
²⁰Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
²¹To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
²²He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Devotional

The Amen, the faithful and true witness, is speaking to the church at Laodicia; but the Laodicians are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot. They are self-complacent, well satisfied with them­selves; they think they are rich, and have need of nothing; but in reality they are wretched, and miserable and poor and blind and naked. The faithful Witness stands at their door and knocks. How does He knock? How will He gain entrance? By speaking to them. He says, "If any man hear my voice." It is always a matter of hearing and receiving God's Word; that is, believing or rejecting the truth as it comes to us. We read in the letter to the Hebrews: "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh: for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven." To the Loadicians Christ was speaking from heav­en. He said, "If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup (eat) with him and he with me." And Jesus has given us a similar promise: "If any man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Think of it, what a great privilege it is to have fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. But do we really love Christ our Saviour? Do we keep his words? Not, if we do not give heed to his knocking, if we think we are rich and have need of nothing. Only those "who hunger and thirst after right­eousness" shall be filled, and shall be blessed.

Prayer

Our Father, Thou art willing to impart unto us Thy heavenly gifts; and we so often lose ourselves in the things of this world, and regard things, that perish with the using, as riches. Forbid that we should trust in our own righteousness. Help us to lay hold in faith of Christ and all his benefits. May we have true fellowship with Thee our Father and with Jesus Christ Thy Son here on earth and in the hereafter may we be partakers of Thy heavenly glory. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

---

Scripture in Devotional: Heb. 12:25; John 14:23; 1 John 1:3; Matt. 5:6.

Click here for background on Light and Comfort and the author.