Devotional Life Love and Loyalty

Devotional Life

Love and Loyalty

A devotional life is a life of devotion to the things we love

Our love falls in two categories

A love for the things of the world

OR

A love for the things of God

A worldly devotion focuses on eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die

A Godly devotion focuses on the Giver of life eternal

A devotional life is a life of Love and Loyalty

It is enthusiasm for a person or things

A devotional life will shape your activities and define your cause    

So if we gain the whole world and lose our soul what do we have

But if we devote ourselves to the God who created the heavens and the earth

We gain life in the earth and in heaven

Love is a choice

Loyalty is a choice

Therefore our devotion is a choice

So what will you choose?

Devotion to the things of this world or devotion to God and all He has to offer?

Love and Loyalty

Ever think about the word “Devotion”?

Having a devotion for

someone or thing is love, loyalty.

It is enthusiasm for a person, activity or cause.

Spiritually we think of religious worship,

prayers or religious observances.

Commonly we think of the word

“Devotional” as a short thought or message.

Someone in a small group Sandy

and I are a part of said I should write a

book on how to have a devotional life.

She said, “Bill you are so full of enthusiasm

and energy when you talk about God’s Word”.

“You are so interesting to listen to.”

It was nice to get those complements,

but I felt the burden she and so many others have.

We have a love for God but find it a

struggle to read their Bible or keep a

regular time of a devotional reading.

I had been thinking about her words

for about a month and the things I shared

with her and the group that day.

In the following devotionals I will share my

successes and failures in having a devotional life.

I will share my story and how I came to

be a daily devotional writer since 2008.

But for now maybe the most important

thing is the definition of “Devotion”.

You will not be able to have a

devotional life without devotion.

Your devotion will be defined by what you

love, this can be a person or something.

You will be loyal or show enthusiasm

for that person, activity or cause.

What is it you love to talk about?

Is it your family, job or hobby?

Your life and mine should be full of people

and things we love to share with others.

Life is to be full and abundant according

to Jesus’ purpose for coming to the earth.

The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness there of.

So the first thing we need to realize is…

 The connection of earthly joys

to the Creator of those things.

There are two mind sets

according to the Word of God.

The Worldly…

Furthermore, since they did not think it

worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God,

he gave them over to a depraved mind,

to do what ought not to be done.

Romans 1:28

God has given us a freedom to enjoy the earth

 He created without recognizing God.

This pattern of worldly thinking verses

Godly thinking has been increasing.

We are all affected by worldly thinking

and need our minds to be renewed…

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is

— his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:2

Everything that matters to you

happens between your ears.

Yes, that brain with the ability to think and feel.

You and I start our journey of life as imitators…

We see and hear and it becomes a part of us.

Right or wrong we accept it.

As we get older we begin to question

what we have accepted and believe.

So we find ourselves with either the mind

of the world or the mind of Christ .

Think about it…

A devotional life is loyal and full of love.

The more you love,

the more loyal you will become.

You cannot love without appreciation and value.

If you and I are to have a devotional

life for God, we have to see His value.

The world has a lot to offer.

But we have to ask the question…

What good is it for a man to gain

the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?

Mark 8:35

You and I will be devoted to one or the other…

Either to the world or to God.

So if we gain the whole world

and lose our soul what do we have.

But if we devote ourselves to the God,

 who created the heavens and the earth…

We gain life in the earth and in heaven.

Love is a choice.

Loyalty is a choice.

Therefore our devotion is a choice.

So what will you choose?

Devotion to the things of this world

Or

 Devotion to God and all He has to offer?

Scripture Reading

1 John 2:15-17 NIV

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Matthew 4:8 NIV

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.

Romans 12:2 NIV

2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

James 1:27-2:1 NIV

27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 4:4 NIV

4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

Provision Increased Faith Part 2

 

Provision

Increased Faith Part 2

Our resources are not limited to prayer and a miracle

Our resources are not locked up in heaven and you need a key

Think of this

There is no limit of concrete and trees to build our great cities and roads

It is under our feet every day, we just have to harvest it

Your house, your car, your food, your health all are part of an amazing plan of God

When He created the earth

The question is, will you care for His garden or will you ask for more?

Don’t forget when God made man He made the earth to sustain us

When man’s ways became corrupt

God made provision for godliness through Jesus Christ

We have to learn the balance of our provisions

Both the things we need of life and the things we need for godliness

Come from the LORD 

He has already served us everything we need

We need to serve Him to find those provisions         

Provision

Over 30 years ago I got an infection called cellulitis.

I almost died refusing medical attention

waiting for my miracle of healing.

Now over thirty years later,

 I got cellulitis again.

This time I prayed and I

sought medical attention.

I went to an Urgent Care and as I

was waiting to see the doctor I thought…

What is my answer to why I am seeking

medical attention when thirty some years

ago I would stand in faith for my healing?

Has my faith become weak over the years?

No, my faith is still strong in

Jesus Christ and the Scriptures.

So has something been taking away from the

three things I believe in for healing?

Proper care of my body by physical

activity every day, healthy nutrition

 and pray for healing.

No, I still believe these three things.

So what has been added?

As I thought about this question in the

Urgent Care, this is the answer I came up with…

In the morning you and I

got up and had breakfast.

What we ate was something that probably

came from a grocery store…

 From a processing house or factory

 That came from a farmer

 That came from the earth God

created and filled with everything

we have need of to sustain life.

 God’s provision for my healing thirty years

ago did not come directly from prayer,

 but from God’s provision 7000

years ago when He created the earth.

God told Adam and Eve to rule over the earth.

The earth has not run out of

resources to meet our needs.

Much of what God has given us comes

from our obedience of ruling over the earth.

Your food, your house, your car, so

much of what you have is because of

ruling over the earth and being fruitful.

 

I realized as I was pondering

my question of faith..

 That our view of God is very important.

God is not our servant.

He came and served us.

 He has done so much for us,

 because He loves us so amazingly.

But we do not rule over God.

 We are not His lord.

We are God’s servants.

 We were created to take care of His garden.

 And in return, we would be taken care of.

Although thirty years ago, or ever in my life,

did I think of being God’s lord…

 I did not realize all of my role as being His

servant and Jesus Christ being fully my Lord.

I still believe in the three things of…

Proper care of my body by physical activity

every day, and healthy nutrition.

When affliction comes doing  

the third thing, pray for healing.

But now I have added a fourth thing…

Looking to God to ‘where” my help comes from.

  

If we look at the battles of Israel,

 God did not become Israel’s servant.

He did not jump to their every command.

 But He did teach them to turn to Him as LORD

to find where their help would come from.

In every battle there was a different solution.

Someone once said they were praying long

and hard and God finally showed up and said…

“Stop waiting for Me, I am waiting for you.”

I still pray for instantaneous healing and

that is what I want God to do every time.

But I realize God has given me everything

 I need for life and godliness

from the foundation of the earth.

And I need to be about my Father’s

business to find those resources.

Our resources are not limited

to prayer and a miracle.

Our resources are not locked

up in heaven and you need a key.

Think of this…

 There is no limit of concrete and trees

to build our great cities and roads.

It is under our feet every day,

 we just have to harvest it.

Your house, your car, your food, your health

all are part of an amazing plan of

God when He created the earth.

The question is…

 Will you care for His garden

or will you ask for more?

Who is Lord?…

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the LORD his God,

the Maker of heaven and earth,

the sea, and everything in them —

the LORD, who remains faithful forever.

Don’t forget when God made man

He made the earth to sustain us.

When man’s ways became corrupt…

 God made provision for godliness

through Jesus Christ.

We have to learn the balance of our provisions.

Both the things we need of life and the things

we need for godliness come from the LORD.

 

He has already served us everything we need.

We need to serve Him to find those provisions.

          

       

Scripture Reading

2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Psalms 146:5-10 NIV

7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed

and gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets prisoners free,

8 the LORD gives sight to the blind,

the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,

the LORD loves the righteous.

9 The LORD watches over the alien

and sustains the fatherless and the widow,

but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

10 The LORD reigns forever,

your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the LORD.