Page 16 - Living Light 91

Friday December 12 - Turn back!
“Repent and do the things you did at first.” Revelation 2:5
You may have seen (and skirted around!) someone with a sandwich board on the street, which says, ‘Repent! The end is nigh!’ And I remember exhorting my young children to “say sorry” when they had done something naughty – and their words being almost spat out, usually unwillingly!
We can have a history with the word ‘repent’ which puts us off. But it means way more than just saying sorry or feeling bad about something. To repent means to turn back from an action and walk in a different direction. It involves action as well as expression.
In this case, Jesus reminds the Ephesian church how they started out. Paul, writing his epistle to them, says that he has not stopped giving thanks for them, ‘ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all his people’ (Ephesians 1:15) and he prays that they would be ‘rooted and established in love... with power... to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ’ (Ephesians 3:17-18).
Love is an emotion as well as a commitment; the Ephesian people showed this as they wept and hugged Paul when they said their final goodbyes (Acts 20:37). Perhaps Jesus was calling the church back to this all-consuming devotion to God, his people and his cause. I believe he still is.
Lord Jesus, forgive me for letting my Christian life become routine and a mere duty. I give you my whole life, body, mind and emotions. Amen.
Saturday December 13 - The promise of eternal life “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of
life, which is in the paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7
Here we have the ultimate reward held out to the church at Ephesus – and to all who hear these words and follow them. It sounds good, but let’s dig into the meaning for us!
Who are the victorious? We know that Jesus praised the church for not giving up because of hardship or weariness. It’s all too easy to become disillusioned with church, burnt out by activity, and just give up. We need to take steps to avoid that so that we can be victorious.
What is the tree of life? This picture goes right back to the account of creation in Genesis 2. God made a garden with two particular trees in the middle: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was fruit from this latter tree that Adam and Eve were warned not to eat. They disobeyed and were then evicted from the garden and unable to eat from any of the trees, including the tree of life. It’s a tragic story, but Jesus reverses the curse, and as we follow him till our life’s end, we too will be offered eternal life in paradise.
This is what Jesus promised to the thief on the cross who recognised that he was innocent. There will be many in heaven who, like the thief, recognised Jesus at the last minute, alongside those who have served him their whole lives. This is God’s marvellous grace!
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for promising me eternal life! I worship you! Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
14
PRAYER FOR TODAY