The Little Book

Help me to take in Your life-giving Word today, Lord. Amen


"Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter" (Revelation 10:10)


This book in the hand of God's mighty messenger angel, the Lord Jesus Christ, also represents the Word of God. And this passage tells what we as Christians are to do with His Word.


Here in these verses John represents us, God's people. John is instructed to take the book and to eat it (Revelation 10:8-9). Likewise we are to appropriate the Word of God and then assimilate that Word. We take this book and feed upon it.


Now, many of us have Bibles we never open. The words of life God has given to strengthen and sustain us can do us no good if we don't read them. Jesus said, "an shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4).


The Bible is to be eaten. It is to be digested. It is not enough to read the recipe book; we've got to cook, eat, and digest the meal.


When you take in the Word of God, it will be both bitter and sweet. In the Bible you find some sad things, some horrifying things. You can't read the book of Revelation without seeing God's justice and judgment. But many want to choose only the parts of the Bible they find palatable. Heaven and hell, death and life, salvation, condemnation - it's all in the Bible. We must take it in.


Then we are to give it out. John was told to disseminate the truth he'd been shown (v. 11). And how can we not share the Word of God? If we read the Bible and truly believe it is God's Word, how can we be silent in a hell-bound world?


~Adrian Rogers~