Today’s Reading: James 2:17, Luke 6:43
Think about the people and things in your life that you are devoted to. Maybe you are married and are devoted to your spouse, or have children and are devoted to caring for them. Maybe you are devoted to your friends, or a hobby, or a job. When we think about “devotion” the things that we care about deeply come to mind. Our devotion is defined by love, loyalty and enthusiasm for whatever captures our affection and our attention. Most of us desire and are willing to put great effort into the things we care about.
Yesterday, we learned that God has many powerful attributes. He doesn’t need us and yet he still pursues a relationship with us. Just think about that for a second. The creator of the universe wants a relationship with YOU. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we step into this beautiful relationship with him that changes us. In response to what God has done for us, an immense work of gratitude begins in our hearts that drives us to devote ourselves to God. We are transformed from the inside out. We don’t express devotion to God because he requires it or because we have to; we do it because of the change that is happening within us.
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Devotion to God is not just about what you do – reading your Bible and praying, for example. It is more than that. It is about our heart’s posture and allowing God to change how we think and live our lives. This transformation is the bedrock of our devotion. Throughout scripture (Matthew 21:19-21, Mathew 13:1-23, 1 Corinthians 3:6-8), we see the analogy of plants or fruit depicting the outward result of what is happening inside of us. When we are in relationship with God, devoting our lives to him becomes something we desire to do more and more. It is like watering and caring for a plant. The more you invest in it, the healthier the plant becomes and the better the fruit it will produce. Devotion to God is a conscious effort to learn more about who he is, communicate with him, and surrender ourselves daily to the work he wants to do in us.
As you continue through this study, you will realize that the rhythm of daily devotion is actually the foundation for the other rhythms we will learn about. Prayer, living in freedom, living an open-handed life and sharing your story are all birthed out of devotion to God. We will talk more about what a healthy rhythm of daily devotion is in the coming days.
What does your relationship with God look like?
Do you desire to be devoted to God?
What are some ways you can devote your life?
