I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.
Revelation 10:10 NIV
As the Revelation continues, an angel with a scroll comes to John and commands him to consume it. So he took the little scroll and ate it, finding it sweet in his mouth, but bitter in his stomach. After this, he was told to once again prophesy to many people. This is very similar to what took place in Ezekiel 2:8-3:3. There, God gave Ezekiel a scroll filled with words of woe. God told him to eat it, and he found the taste to be sweet. He was then told to proclaim the words.
We are not prophets, at least not like Ezekiel and John. But I do believe that what they saw here has relevance to us today. Think of these scrolls as the word of God, the Bible. We need to be consuming the word. Not just some parts of it, but entirely. We will find that the word of God is good and sweet as we read it. But how often do we find it bringing conviction to our own lives, making it appear less sweet, and sometimes even bitter? Or how often is it difficult and/or challenging to proclaim the message it calls us to proclaim to those around us? Surely it is bitter to talk to unsaved and unresponsive loved ones about the coming judgment of God.
But regardless of the challenges, let’s follow the example of John, consuming the whole Word, making it a part of our lives. We will find it sweet at times, and bitter, or hard, at other times. But always it is good.
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