He Reigns
Bible reading
So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, ‘Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but “in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” ’
– Revelation 10:9 (NIVUK)
Devotional
Sitting on the table was a huge bowl of chocolate mousse! “Don’t take too much, Connie, or it will make you sick”. The problem was/is, that I love chocolate mousse and as a child I had no self-control when it came to eating it. I filled my bowl and ate it all, and then I went back for seconds! At the end of the last bite that delicious chocolate mousse didn’t taste so delicious anymore. And about ten minutes later, I did indeed feel sick! I was amazed and saddened that something so sweet could make me feel so bad!
John is having a similar experience but for very different reasons. Five trumpets have sounded, and the world is in a mess. An angel comes down and shouts that there will be more destruction but as John prepares to write-down what was said, he’s stopped. This same angel has a scroll in his hand and John is told to take the scroll and eat it! As he follows the instructions, he realizes that the scroll is sweet and pleasant to eat, but then suddenly John’s stomach starts to turn. What tasted so sweet at first is now making him sick. The scroll is burning in his stomach.
God’s word is sweet indeed. It is a love story, a redemption story, and a story of reconciliation. But it is also a story that warns us of rejecting what is written, what has been promised and what has been set in motion. The very sweet words that bring us comfort can also cause great distress to those who have rejected Jesus. Even for the followers of Jesus the Word of God convicts us of sin, instructs us how to live, and challenges us in our beliefs. Sweet words that can turn sour when they confront our rebellious nature.
Sweet and sour, either way God tells us to eat his Book. To take it in, chew on it, to let it nourish and feed us as we swallow it. There are times that it will remain sweet and other times it will be sour. Eat his Book and allow it to both challenge and inspire you to walk ever closer with the Lamb.
– Connie Main Duarte
This devotional is part of a series that helps us navigate the texts of the book of Revelation with fresh eyes. A new devotional every Saturday.
These devotionals are available in Portuguese and in English.