To Be Least

Penned in from the outside world, these men and women have nothing but the wounds on their back and God to keep them company. More often than not, they have no Bible with them. Yet they know God. With no where to turn, they look up and offer God the incense of their prayers. You can read about their experiences in the dark pens of torture and pain where they suffered for Christ. Contrary to human wisdom, they say that those days were the happiest and joyful days of their lives. Times when they were closest to the eternal God and His Son, Jesus.

Across the Pacific, we have huge churches and an overabundance of Bibles. Entire stores are devoted to Christian literature and prayer meetings overflow the cup's brim. If that was not enough, freedom is something cheap here. It is sold from the market place and from every store window. Yet, somehow despite this abundance, we are not close to God.

We ask ourselves, How can this be? We have everything we could ever want, and more. Have we forgotten what the Lord says in Revelations 3:14-22?

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 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. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 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 him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

We are the church in Laodicea. We have become rich and have begun to say to ourselves that we do not need anything, even God himself. In God's eyes, however, we are pitiful and naked, in need of what God has to offer.

Listen! God is knocking at the door, will we hear his still, quite voice and answer the door? Or are we going to ignore the knocking and continue to live lives of selfishness and materialism?

It is time that we forget about the physical things and put our focus on the eternal. To put our focus of the God that stands on the door and knocks.