Evening

December 26

Revelation 2:7 and portions of 11,17,26,28,3:5,12,21 (NIV)

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God...will not be hurt at all by the second death... I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new namewritten on it, known only to him who receives it...I will give authority over the nations– I will also give him the morning star...be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels...I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name...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.

These promises come at the end of the various letters to the churches of Asia Minor. They are made to those who overcome the compromises Jesus outlined in the letters. Most of the churches had areas of weakness or compromise that needed to change, just as each of us has.

If Jesus were to write you a letter, what compromises would He point out? He encourages you to overcome, and promises that if you do, you will receive the above promises to overcomers.

Meditation: Would you take a moment to let the Holy Spirit search your heart and point out the areas that need to be changed? Then go back and read the promises to those who overcome. It may seem that it would not be worth the effort or the cost to make those changes. However, when you read the promises, you will find it is worth any cost. Don't be anything less than an overcomer!