Monday, June 15, 2015

Rev 10: Sweet as Honey; Yet, Bitter to Swallow

Revelation 10 NIV
Prophecy is often a "bitter pill" to swallow. We don't like to hear that we have a need to make changes in our lives. We usually don't care to hear that there are consequences to everything we do. Sometimes, those consequences are good. Sometimes, they are not. A lot depends on whom or what we choose to serve.

The angel who stood with one foot on the sea and one on the land holding a tiny scroll announces to John that the seventh trumpet is about to sound and "the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets." (vs 7) This could well be a "bitter pill" for those who  refuse to hear the message of the prophets.

John is told to take and eat the little scroll from the angel. He eats. The scroll tastes as sweet as honey; but, it turned his stomach sour. He has swallowed the words and it is sweet to taste; yet, bitter to stomach. It sounds good and it is good; but, with the words that were delivered to John on the scroll will come many anxious and troubling times. Events and times that will be very difficult to stomach.

John must go out and prophesy with the words that he has swallowed about peoples, nations, languages and kings. It may well be that to those who believe in the Son of God and anxiously wait for the mystery of God to be accomplished that the word is sweet; yet, a very "bitter pill" to those who reject the Lord. But, it will not be easy for John. With the sweet word of the Lord will come much persecution from the world to those who love him.

May God help us to hear the word and receive it no matter what kind of changes it asks us to make in our lives.

God's Peace - Pr. J

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