All in Daily Devotion
Do you wake up in the morning with thanksgiving, and a song of praise on your lips for the Lord? If you answer no to this question then I ask that you make those first few breaths and thoughts the purposeful belongings of God. Doing this one thing will realign your day physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It will change your life.
We concentrate on all the things we give up to become righteous, and wallow in statements of sacrifice, but by doing so it is like reading the story of Pinocchio, and never acknowledging that in the end he became a real boy. In pursuing our faith so many of us attempt to eternally strap ourselves to the disappointment in our fallen lives, and miss the amazing and glorious ending that has been won for us by grace through Jesus. Who are you, the sad wooden puppet, or the vibrant and joyful boy?
Is God active in your life right now, or are you waiting on Him? There are times in our relationship with God when our faith feels like it is adrift on a calm sea without the slightest hint of a breeze in our sails, but at other times the wind is brisk and our sails are full and tight as we speed forward; cutting through the waves with the spray in our face. What are you experiencing right now, the calm sea, the exhilaration of the wind, or the fear of a storm?
Unless we die of some tragic accident or illness, each of us will find ourselves at a point where the strength of our body will have reached its summit, and the slow decline towards death will have begun. We jokingly call this being “over the hill” but isn’t it wonderful to know that while the aging of our bodies looks like a bell curve, our spiritual life is an ever rising inclined plain. Our transitory physical nature is giving way to achieving eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Were you perfect in the sight of God yesterday, or was it a bad day for you? Did you make it all the day long without sinning once, or were there those moments when you lost control of your tongue, or stepped otherwise into sin? Each of us falls short of perfection in the eyes of God, but that is no reason to stop striving for it. We have a wonderful eraser on the end of our pencil of faith that removes all of our mistakes and perfects us in the end... Jesus Christ.
How do you choose to go about your day? Do you adhere to the scripture which says “pray without ceasing” and contemplate your prayers, wondering when God will answer, no? Then perhaps you contemplate the nature of God and Jesus Christ all the day long, still no?” Well, do you think much about them, and your faith at all? We each have a way and an intensity with which we approach our faith... how do you go about yours? Maybe you are predominately a thinker, a sturdier, a doer, or, God forbid, someone who just blows the dust from his faith on Sundays and Holy days.
When you pray do you refer to God as your Father? When you call Him by this name is it an official title, or a loving one? Sometimes we get confused about who a father is intended to be, and think to give him our respect without remembering to love him. We treat him as the head of the household, but lose sight of how much we love him and he loves us. Do we treat God the Father as a King, or do we love Him with all our heart?
Have you been a Christian for many years, so many that you have now grown dull in your faith with the thrill of it diminishing? Are the things of faith that were once new and thrilling now routine and expected? If so then it is time to reminisce with the Lord, and praise Him anew for blessings long past. Remember the touch of His love, and the awe of His power.
Are you feeling trapped in a life of sin, or perhaps you find yourself in the throws of great temptation, and don’t know how you can save yourself? Well if this is the case, look to the Lord God because it is His intention to redeem you from your sin, and to save you from all temptation.
From the house of David comes the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. He wasn’t made new from the dust as a more perfect model of man, no, and he didn’t come from heaven as a perfected being... He was every bit a man, and yet God as well. He knows what we feel, and the troubles that face us; after all, He was tempted as we are and faced each of our human trials. This makes Jesus our perfect comforter, and lamb of sacrifice... He was chosen from the people.
What is it about ourselves that causes us to be prideful? Do you say “I am a self-made man!” And give speeches about how anyone can do what you have done if they only apply themselves as you have? Such conceit, and arrogance! Who gave you the mind you have, the wisdom and not a mental disability, or the body that is straight and not bent, and a land of opportunity in which to live rather than one of famine? What part did you play in any of this? All you are, and everything you have comes from God... be humble in your thanks.
When times are hard in your life do you think that God has walked away from you, and abandoned the gifts He gave you through Jesus Christ? Do you think that the promise of salvation, His protection, and provision has been reneged on? Well that couldn’t be further from the truth. You see, God’s promises and callings last forever, and remain forever with you as well. When the easy times turn hard, and you suffer, continue to look all the more to God.
You have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, and received the seed of your faith, so if we view your faith as we would a seed, have you sown it in good soil, or amongst the thorns? Have you taken care and gently placed it in rich soil, and watered it with the Word of God, or cast it in the thorns of a worldly life, and sprinkled it with man’s deceit and wealth?
Seeking God, and knowing that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to redeem us by His death, resurrection, and ascension; this is the most important quest of our lives. If we fail in this journey then all is lost in a few short years on earth. So what drives us to look for Him, why do some of us fail, and how can we succeed in finding Him?
Do you desire the rest and peace of God? If so, are you striving to be obedient to God’s Word, and to His will for you? We work at those things God would have us do so that on the Sabbath we can experience the same rest He did, but what if we are disobedient? What if our hearts become hardened to Him? Will that rest still await us?