Revelation 10:10 KJV The Sweetness of God's Word—and the Pain That Often Follows

Revelation 10:10 KJV

And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

I believe the little book is representative of the whole Bible. It is little in the sense that, if everything had been written, the world itself could not have contained it. In contrast to eternal things, anything in this world is little.

Now consider the content of this little book. It contains the nature of God, the history of Creation, the account of sin, and the means of reconciliation.

There is much to rejoice over in the Book:

• The goodness and grace of God.
• The hope of eternity.
• The precious account of Christ.

But there is also a bitterness to the Book:

• Sin and its consequences.
• The activity of fallen man.
• The eternal end of the unbeliever.

Those who have come to know and live by the Book have always experienced a bitterness of the belly. They have been maligned, mistreated, and misunderstood.

To this day, when one comes to see what the Book says and becomes convicted to live by it, there is a sense of "sickness of the stomach" that comes.

We know what it will cost.

• Friends.
• Family.
• Futures.

All are changed because so many reject the Word.

I am reminded of the prophet Micaiah. All he wanted was to be obedient to the Lord, but there were not even any other preachers willing to stand with him.

He was bitter of the belly. He knew that telling the king what God had said would mean rejection from the king and mocking from the other prophets. Even Jehoshaphat, who had asked to hear from him, would not stand with him.

Bitterness of the belly.

It is no shame to feel it.

But it is a blessing to look forward to the day when we will never know it again.

#WhatTheBibleSays #CountTheCost #StandWithMicaiah #SweetAsHoney #BitternessOfTheBelly

The Sweetness of God's Word—and the Pain That Often Follows: The Cost of Living by the Bible

Have you ever experienced the sweetness of God's Word and the bitterness that sometimes comes with obeying it? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below and share a time when standing for biblical truth came with a cost—or a blessing.

For more Bible studies, devotionals, articles, books, and teaching resources, visit marvinmckenzie.org. Join me as we continue exploring God's Word together, one verse at a time.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
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Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Revelation 10:10 KJV The Sweetness of God's Word—and the Pain That Often Follows

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/Ugkxzi9pn8cPTeaQc9m8boiX_u86Gav7CCdz?si=xhasAseRo7EI0O0s

2 Chronicles 20:3 (KJV) What Do You Do When You Don't Know What to Do?

2 Chronicles 20:3 (KJV)

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

Jehoshaphat feared.

The best of men fear, and the best of men face times when the enemy is such that they are helpless before him and “know not what to do.”

It's a comfort to know we are not alone when we find ourselves in such a time.

He feared, but he did not turn from God.

Instead, he turned to the Lord and set himself to seek the Lord. Fasting isn't as common these days, but it is still a viable action in times of great distress.

He feared, and he prayed.

• Jehoshaphat's prayer recounted the authority of God over the kingdoms of men.
• Jehoshaphat's prayer remembered that they were the friends of God.
• Jehoshaphat's prayer reminded God that they had worshiped Him.
• Jehoshaphat's prayer recalled that God had required them to be kind to this enemy.

Jehoshaphat likely sought no ill against this enemy, as they were indeed brethren. Still, the threat was real, and it would have to be faced.

So Jehoshaphat asked God to be the One who judged them.

I am reminded that while Jehoshaphat was a good king, he was not a perfect man. The best of us could, if we wished, focus on our mistakes rather than on all the good God has enabled us to do.

I'm happy to think that God sees our heart's desire to do right before Him rather than fixing His attention on the times we did not succeed in that desire.

#TrustGodInTrouble #PrayerChangesThings #BiblicalLeadership #ChristianEncouragement #WalkingByFaith

What Do You Do When You Don't Know What to Do? Jehoshaphat Had the Answer

Have you ever faced a situation so overwhelming that you simply didn't know what to do? Jehoshaphat did—and his response still speaks to us today.

I'd love to hear from you. What has helped you trust God during a difficult season of life? Share your thoughts in the comments below and encourage someone else who may be facing a battle of their own.

For more Bible studies, daily devotions, videos, and Christian resources, visit MarvinMcKenzie.org. I hope you'll stop by and explore the growing collection of materials designed to help believers walk by faith and grow in God's Word.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Chronicles 20:3 (KJV) What Do You Do When You Don't Know What to Do? 

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/Ugkx_1btfsDj07TnNdKgnGs5PKVz04ijsnqI?si=KC5ptrRfsL3PXvDG

2 Chronicles 19:2 (KJV) Faithful Christians Can Support the Wrong People

2 Chronicles 19:2 (KJV)

And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD.

I’m reminded of our Lord’s words to the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:4: “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee...”

Jehoshaphat was a good king in so very many ways—arguably one of the best Judah ever knew—but the Lord did have this one thing against him: “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD.”

I would point out that many positive things were said about him and his reign before his compromise with Israel, and many good things were said about him afterward as well. He was a good king. He loved the Lord, sought the Lord, and encouraged others to do the same. The Lord blessed him both before and after his affinity with Ahab.

Nevertheless, there was this rebuke, recorded for all eternity for us to read:

“Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD.”

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, I am thankful for your walk with the Lord. I am glad that you seek Him and strive to love and serve Him.

But it is wrong to help the ungodly and to love those who hate the Lord.

And it would be wrong for a preacher not to tell you so.

#ChristianLiving #BibleTruth #WalkWithGod #SpiritualDiscernment #FaithfulnessMatters

Faithful Christians Can Support the Wrong People: The Dangerous Compromise Good Christians Often Make

What do you think? Have you ever faced a situation where being friendly, supportive, or cooperative crossed the line into spiritual compromise? Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear your perspective.

For more Bible studies, Christian encouragement, and practical lessons from God's Word, visit marvinmckenzie.org and explore hundreds of articles, videos, and resources designed to help you grow in your walk with the Lord. If this post was a blessing, please like, share, and follow so others can benefit from it as well.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Chronicles 19:2 (KJV) Faithful Christians Can Support the Wrong People

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxQtuigH8xOOkQr1iUtVPqKE8vG6BelTVU?si=JKHcLKcvUgBmAMa3

2 Chronicles 18:3 (KJV) The Truth About Perspective

2 Chronicles 18:3 (KJV)

And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramothgilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.

In my visit with the Lord yesterday, I meditated for a time on “good King Jehoshaphat” and just how good he was. I considered that it could be argued that he was the best king of Judah outside of David.

My devotional work yesterday went a different direction, but today I read of this terrible error on the part of Jehoshaphat. As good a king as he may have been, he surely messed up here.

What strikes me is this: I’ve read these Scriptures dozens of times in my years of faith. I’ve preached through these passages. I’ve written other Visits with God from them. But yesterday I forgot about his future and focused only on what I saw there in the moment.

Life is like that, isn’t it?

We’ve got to be careful about our focus. We can become so fixated on the now that we lose perspective. We can sometimes forget that, despite what may be a very difficult time right now, there have also been times of joy and delight. We can sometimes lose sight of the fact that, no matter how dark it is right now, morning light is on its way.

It is healthy, they say, to “be in the now,” and I would agree.

Years ago, an uncle made a trip to the Middle East. Not long after he returned home, his family grew concerned because he could not remember key events from the trip. They went to a doctor, who said that he had not allowed himself to be in the now enough during the journey. He had multitasked away opportunities to fully engage in his experiences and therefore failed to retain them.

It turned out that he was experiencing the early stages of dementia, but the lesson stuck with me.

I often forget the names of people I meet simply because I am not fully in the now when I am introduced to them.

It is healthy to be in the now, fully engaged with life as it happens. But it is also essential to keep the now in context.

Right now has a past, and it will have a future.

Engage fully with today by interpreting the present through the lessons of the past and the possibilities of the future.

#Jehoshaphat #ChristianGrowth #BiblicalWisdom #FaithAndFocus #WalkingWithGod

The Truth About Perspective: Are You Seeing Life Clearly—or Only Seeing the Moment?

Have you ever found yourself so focused on today's problem that you lost sight of yesterday's blessings or tomorrow's hope? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below and share a time when keeping life's bigger picture helped you through a difficult season.

For more daily Bible thoughts, Christian encouragement, and practical lessons from God's Word, visit marvinmckenzie.org. I'd be honored to have you join me there.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Chronicles 18:3 (KJV) The Truth About Perspective

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxhzInWppsG6bdiyUKKhmzEG6A7kQHakuH?si=oOdtsgA5_dQ9n168