Be faithful

“I know your afflictions and your poverty – yet you are rich!

Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.”              Rev. 2.9a,10b

The Lord truly knows it all. It was not easy being a Christian in Smyrna. The Roman population were proud and fiercely for emperor worship. Coupled with this was a large and active, hostile Jewish population.

Consequently, the Christians would have suffered. Jesus even mentions Satan as leading some of the so-called Jews. Suffering may well have caused physical and material poverty.

But the Lord knows that the richness of life for the true believer is not to be found in material wealth or physical affluence, but in who we are in God.

I am a child of God whom He loves very dearly. He has a plan for my life and He has purposes for me to achieve.

I have felt a lack in the material provisions of life and, sadly, it had begun to affect me. That is now changing, and this comes as I choose to turn full-on to God.

I take the encouragement that Jesus offers to the church at Smyrna to “Be faithful.” He warns them of coming persecution, even to the point of death. I don’t know if this is in the offing for me, but it really matters not. What I see as more important is my faithfulness to Him. I have been blessed by relationship with Him. In this I am rich, I am truly, truly rich. May I never forget this. And may I relegate thoughts of material needs to a more appropriate position in my priorities list. May I lower them out of my present vision. Let me believe, truly believe, that God will supply all I need. And let me use my time, effort and energy to focus on Him. This is where my wealth lies. Here I am rich.

Lord God, Loving Father,

I thank You for the richness You have lavished upon me. I know what it is to be loved by You. I know the joy of having love for You and receiving love from You that I can share with my fellow beings. I thank You for every opportunity You give me to share this love.

I hand over all of my physical and material needs to You. You are the source and provider of all that I need and want. Let me look not to my own devices and strategies but let me look always to You. You are my everything.

May love flow in tangible form through all the events of my life. I love You and I want to share that love. Enable me, please, in Jesus’ Name I ask.                                      Amen.