READING: Esther 7-10, Revelation 3
Our God, who is all-seeing and all-knowing, reads our hearts like a book. We’re typically good enough at masquerading our commitment that we can convince others of how faithful we are—but we do not fool God. Our reputation before others is important, but a good reputation is no guarantee of an authentic, growing faith; instead, we’re sometimes like the church at Sardis: “I [Jesus] know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead” (Rev 3:1). In some cases, some are believers who’ve lost their focus and their power; in other cases, they were never believers in the first place. A few may still be walking with Christ—as in the church of Sardis—but the majority are living on reputation alone.
This image ought to force us to our knees in self-reflection. No matter how positively others might think of us, our concern must first be how God sees us. Sometimes we think we’re doing spiritually well as long as others think the same, when in fact we’re not even lukewarm like the church at Laodicea. Rather, we’re spiritually asleep on the way to death. God knows that—and we’re wise to keep that truth in mind. I trust we don’t want to be the next church—like Sardis, among the seven churches of Rev 1-3—that receives no commendation at all from Jesus.
PRAYER: “God, I don’t want to be asleep while banking on my reputation among others. Let me see my heart as You see it.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Ezra 7-10, Psalm 97, Revelation 4