Tuck In; Revelation 8-10

May the mumbling commence!

Taste and see that the Lord is good.  Sweet to my mouth is the Word of God.  Yet, sometimes, it does not sit well in the stomach.  Sometimes, it does nothing but twist and contort our bowels.  Sometimes, the Word of God is gut-wrenching. 

Why is this so?  It asks of us deep change that we integrate into our very beings – just as we integrate some of the food that we eat into our very bodies.  We are what we eat!

Read how the Word of God set in the mouth and the stomach of the writer of Revelation – from chapter ten:

Then the voice which I had heard from Heaven was again in my ears, saying, "Go, and take the little book which lies open in the hand of the angel whose feet are planted on both sea and land."

So I went off towards the angel, asking him to give me the little book. "Take it," he said to me, "and eat it up. It will be bitter to your stomach, but sweet as honey in your mouth."

Then I took the little book from the angel's hand and swallowed it. It was as sweet as honey to the taste but when I had eaten it up it was bitter to my stomach. (Verses 8-10)

Angel means messenger of God – one who carries the Word of God.  Go to the messengers of God for this day – the pastors, evangelists, preachers, and teachers of the Church.  Go to the people who work on the fringe and provide the prophetic witness.  And eat the words they have to tell you.

If they are God’s Word, they will taste sweet to the mouth but turn sour in your stomach.  If we are warned in this way, why would we choose to eat?!?

Because it is good.

Think about state fairs all around the country.  Think of all those deep-fried foods.  They are sweet in the mouth, but they sure can turn our digestion and regularity sour fast!  Yet we eat them.  And they are good… but not good for us.

Well God’s Word is both good and good for us.  There is nothing better to eat – to integrate into the very fabric of our lives.  It will mean change – deep and lasting change.  It will turn sour in our stomachs. 

But it is in our very best and eternal interests – today, tomorrow and into the future.  Eternity is more than about duration.  Eternity with God is about quality – where the best is always yet to come.

Recline and the table and tuck in!  God’s Word is the best buffet it town.  And it’s all you can eat.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out