We’re Not Alone

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

I'm Mike Whitmer and I titled our reading, We're Not Alone. In Frederick Brown's short story thriller, Knock, he wrote, The last man on earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door.

Yikes! Who could that be and what do they want? What mysterious being has come for him? The man is not alone.

Neither are we. The church in Laodicea heard a knock on their door in Revelation 3. What supernatural being had come for them? His name was Jesus, the first and the last, the living one. His eyes blazed like fire and his face like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When his best friend John caught a glimpse of his glory, he fell at his feet as though dead. Faith in Christ begins with the fear of God.

We're not alone. And this is also comforting. Jesus is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. Yet Christ uses his strength not to slay us but to love us. Hear his invitation. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person and they with me. Our faith begins with fear. Who is at the door? And it ends in a welcome and strong embrace. Jesus promises to always stay with us, even if we're the last person on earth.

Thank God we're not alone. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Revelation chapter 3 verses 14 through 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'm about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, I am rich. I've 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 that person and they with me.

To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, we welcome you into our heart and life. Come live with us and us with you. In your name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.