ARE YOU WILLING TO LISTEN?

"Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Everyone who is victorious will eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God." Revelation 2:7

Revelation 2:7. One simple verse but so much to offer us in guidance and assurance. It consists of two basic parts. The first is a recommendation from God’s word. The second is a promise. Let’s first look at the recommendation because without adopting it and exercising it, we will forfeit the opportunity to enjoy the promise of part two.

The first part is centered around the concept of listening and understanding. The two are as indelibly linked as seeing and understanding but in the case of our scripture today, we are dealing with the Holy Spirit…ever present around us, ever willing to enter into us and ever ready to speak to us but invisible. And maybe this is where people have such a problem in experiencing the Spirit. They can’t see it so they don’t think it exists and thus they don’t listen to it. And yet, the Spirit is always trying to speak to us.

In closing his letter to the church in Ephesus, John states, "Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit…" Notice that John doesn’t say, "Anyone who can hear listen to the Spirit" but rather "anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit." We have to show a willingness to listen to what the Spirit has to say to us before we can begin to understand what the Spirit is saying to us.

Question: How well have you shown the Spirit you are willing to listen and understand?

Part two of verse seven deals with a promise…a promise that will come to those who are victorious. OK…but victorious over what? The answer is sin. We are in the midst of a great battle on earth. Two competing factions wish to have control over each of us: Jesus, our Savior, and Satan, who has the sole desire to destroy every good and perfect thing that God creates. Satan would have us sail in a sea of sinfulness, navigating our way to future death and destruction where as Jesus seeks to lead us to victory…victory over sin and victory over death so that we might enter into Heaven and "eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God."

Question: Who is winning the battle for your soul: Jesus or Satan? Are you closer to victory or defeat? Eternal damnation in Hell or eternal life with the Father in Heaven? We do have a choice. It begins by choosing to listen to the Spirit who will always guide you to truth and holiness…to a place where you begin to reflect Jesus in everything you do…to a place where you will ultimately live forever with Jesus and His Father in Heaven, never going hungry as you dine from the tree of life in paradise. There will be no sweeter meal you will ever meet.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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