Day 73

“I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see.” Rev 3.18 NASB.

Maintaining a living walk with God in the midst of a secular, technological age is no easy matter. We live in a time of spiritual crisis. That is Laodicea!

The gold purified in the fire represents the kind of faith that lasts to the end. Is that kind of faith solely a gift from God or are there practical ways to increase one’s faith? I believe that faith is primarily a gift, but there are also some things we can do to increase our faith.

In the Western world, this spiritual crisis particularly afflicts those that grew up in the turmoil of the 1960s, along with their children. Many things that had been handed down as certainties have proven to be questionable in fact. The advent of computer technology and the Internet has fundamentally changed the way people think and reason. The speed and complexity of life have accelerated rapidly. Nothing seems stable anymore. Jobs are “downsized” the minute your salary becomes comfortable. Where you live seems subject to chance more than intention. As a result, extended families have been ripped apart.

In these challenging times, we need to consciously and intentionally cultivate a relationship with God. One of the best ways to do this is to talk about it. Talk about it often and in a wide variety of contexts. Faith is strengthened when we share it. Spend time with people who are full of faith. Every day remind yourself to accept the gold that Jesus offers and allow the circumstances of life to polish that gold into an enduring lustre.

The good news is this verse is referred to in Rev 16:15 indicating that the Laodicean Church makes it through to the end. Obviously there are those who heed the counsel here given.