The White Stone

READ: MATTHEW 28:20; ROMANS 8:12-25; REVELATION 2:12-17

Just when you think it can’t get any darker, I murmured as I watched over the hidden compound where we had to bring more Believers that morning. A small girl and her older brother were wrapped in a ragged blanket, hungrily eating hot soup. I wished we had arrived sooner, but now their parents were gone.

There was a rustle in the dense trees just beyond where I kept watch. Tensing, I gripped the handle of my weapon and crept forward. Zon, be with me! This prayer echoed in the frantic beating of my heart. When I burst through the trees, I nearly stumbled in my astonishment. He stood before me, brandishing a double-edged sword that gleamed like sunshine on the sea. “Do not be afraid, Psephos.” His voice was the sound of mighty, rushing water.

“Zon? Is it you?” Tears of hope and longing welled up in my eyes.

“It is I,” He answered, “the Living One.”

I fell at his feet, tears tracking down my cheeks. Zon dropped His sword and sank to the ground, wrapping His arms around me. “I know you are weary. I have seen the evil and darkness in this land. You and many Believers have remained true to my name, even in the face of death.”

“How much longer until you come to rescue us?”

Zon seemed to look into the depths of my soul. “Through my Spirit, I have given my people the power to remain faithful, Psephos. Yet, some among you are returning to their old ways and running after gods and possessions and experiences that will not satisfy. Only my love can satisfy you, and I have given it freely through my own death and resurrection. Remind the people of my words; encourage them to repent and return to me.”

“Will you stay with me, Zon?”

“I am always with you, to the very end of the age. Those who love me will be victorious, because I am the Victorious One. Here is something to remind you that you are mine, and I will always provide for you.” Zon placed something small and cool into my hand. I opened my palm to see a white stone with a single word written on it.

I read aloud, “Athoos. What does it mean?” “It is your new name, my child. It means, innocent.” • Savannah Coleman

• Today’s devotion is inspired by Revelation 2:12-17. This passage was written to the church in Pergamum. They lived in a culture where there was a lot of idol worship and sin, not unlike today. Jesus, the Living One, commends them for remaining true to His name and standing strong even in the face of severe persecution leading to death. How could it be encouraging to know that Jesus sees everything we’re going through, and He is always close beside us, even in our suffering?

• As we continue reading in Revelation 2:14, we find that some of the Christians in Pergamum were turning back to idolatry and sinful practices, and Jesus urges them to repent. Then Jesus says that the victorious one will be given “hidden manna” (verse 17). Various Bible scholars debate what this passage means, but in Exodus 16, we see how God provided for the Israelites by giving them manna, bread from heaven to eat in the wilderness. Jesus harkens back to this in John 6, and He says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry” (verse 35). Just as God provided manna, He gave us His one and only Son—Jesus is everything we need (John 3:16; 1 Peter 1:3; 2 Peter 1:3). Once we put our trust in Jesus, we become children of God; we are adopted into His family forever. He promises us eternal life, and He satisfies our deepest longings. We no longer need to live according to the flesh—reverting to our old, sinful ways—because we have God’s power in us to walk in freedom. Consider taking some time to ask God to reveal any old, sinful ways you’ve been going to instead of going to Him. You can confess any sins that come to mind, resting in Jesus’s sure forgiveness, and you can ask Him for wisdom in how to move forward. In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians in your life you can be honest with about your struggles?

• While Bible scholars aren’t totally sure what the “white stone” mentioned in Revelation 2:17 signifies, we do know that, in ancient times, some juries used white stones to vote for a person’s acquittal. On our own, none of us is innocent; none of us deserve acquittal. Yet, because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for us, we who are in Christ are no longer condemned (Romans 8:1). Through His sacrifice and resurrection, He has set us free! Sin results in death, but God freely gives us the gift of eternal life through His Son Jesus (Romans 6:15-23). (If you want to know more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page.) How could remembering our innocence before God, a costly innocence purchased with Jesus’s own blood, make us “eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14)? (If you want to dig deeper, read Romans 6:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-10; Titus 2:11-14.)

“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.” Revelation 2:17 (NIV)