7 Minute Read
Be Still
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a couple of minutes to breathe deeply, to quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, prayerfully ask the Lord to speak to you in this time and let Him know that you will be listening and will make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Today’s Bible Reading:
Amos 7:1–9:15
Revelation 3:7-22
Psalm 131:1-3
Proverbs 29:23
Listen to the Lord
Slowly and reflectively read the following verses and listen to what God will say to you through them. Then, consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Revelation 3:15-16 (NLT): “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!”
Reflections from Scripture:
In Revelation 3:15-16, we hear something profound and something … um … nasty.
First, the nasty part.
When it says that “I will spit you out of my mouth,” it may not be talking about spitting. The original Greek word speaks of propelling something out of one’s mouth and can also mean … um … vomiting.
But, whatever the precise meaning, it speaks of getting something undesirable out of your mouth.
Now, back to the first part of the verses. What is so distasteful that Jesus wants to get it out of his mouth as quickly as possible?
Lukewarm Christianity!
Revelation 3:15-16 (NLT): “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!”
The church at Laodicea was a congregation that was content. If you go back and read Revelation 3:14-22, you’ll see that times were good. All of their needs were met. So, with no felt need for Jesus, they went through the motions of worship but without the heart of worship.
One other trivia piece relevant to this passage is that Laodicea did not have its own water supply. Instead, it had an aqueduct system that brought water from Hieropolis (where they had hot springs) and Colossae (where they had cold springs). But, while the water at the two originating sources was healing and refreshing, by the time it got to Laodicea, it was slightly warm, and it tasted nasty because it had to travel through dirty aqueducts.
The nasty, slightly warm water in Laodicea illustrated their spiritual condition. While the church was content and believed that they were fully pleasing to God, the Lord had a very different impression of them.
Friend, are you finding your happiness and purpose in everything except the Lord? If so, you may feel content, but the Lord finds your heart incredibly nauseating.
What’s the answer? Simply to find your happiness and purpose in Jesus. Cultivate a deep need for Him and joy in Him. As you follow Him, obey Him, submit to Him, and enjoy Him, your life’s priorities will be correct. Then, you are free to enjoy all of His blessings as they move your heart to enjoy Him even more. That, my friends, is the heart of someone that the Lord will never find distasteful!
Spend Time in Prayer
Lord Jesus, I want to get my priorities right. You made it clear in Scripture that the greatest commandment of all is to love You with all of my being. Help me, Lord Jesus, to get this right. Then, as I recognize Your rightful place on the throne of my heart, I will be free to enjoy all of the blessings that come from Your hand as it moves me to praise You even more. Lord, I want this! I never want to be distasteful to You! I pray this in Your Name, Amen.
Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com). His latest book is God’s Grace in the Real World. Connect with him on Facebook or Twitter.
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