Scripture
‘You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. ‘ Revelation 3:17,20
Observation
The church at Laodicea looked at their acquisitions and material success as a sign of spiritual health. God told them that despite all the good results they were seeing, they had missed the most important things. They had so much wealth that they didn’t even realize they were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked! They were so caught up in what they had, that they didn’t realize what they didn’t have–they didn’t have the presence of Christ!
The solution for their problem was to open the door and allow Christ in.
Application
Wealth, resources, and ‘success’ are great–but they cannot replace the presence of God. On an individual level, and as a church, we must use the presence of Christ as our gauge of success. Wealth, resources, and other tangible measures of success will come and go–but is Christ here among us?
Walking with Christ will lead us to victory. Pursuing ‘success’ will leave Him standing out on the porch, and leave us slipping toward ultimate defeat.
This week, I need to watch for the presence of Christ. Is He here with me, or have I left Him standing out on the front porch?
Prayer
God, thank you for your patience, your mercy, and your blessings! Help me to never get so distracted by your blessings, that I forget to pursue your presence. I invite you into every facet of my life, to reign as the sovereign authority over me. This coming year, help me to pursue your presence in all that I do–and not merely pursue the external signs of ‘success’.
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