Saturday, February 13, 2016

Devotion Is Not An Attitude It Is An Action, It's More Than Words

My Utmost For His Highest
 
Samuel answered, "Speak, for Your servant hears." —1 Samuel 3:10
 
“Just because I have listened carefully and intently to one thing from God does not mean that I will listen to everything He says. I show God my lack of love and respect for Him by the insensitivity of my heart and mind toward what He says. If I love my friend, I will instinctively understand what he wants. And Jesus said, “You are My friends…” (John 15:14). Have I disobeyed some command of my Lord’s this week? […] The goal of my spiritual life is such close identification with Jesus Christ that I will always hear God and know that God always hears me (see John 11:41). If I am united with Jesus Christ, I hear God all the time through the devotion of hearing. […] What hinders me from hearing is my attention to other things. It is not that I don’t want to hear God, but I am not devoted in the right areas of my life. I am devoted to things and even to service and my own convictions. […] I become deaf to Him because my attention is to other things— things which I think I must do. This is not living the life of a child of God. Have you heard God’s voice today?” CHAMBERS
 
Have you ever asked your child “Are you listening to me?”  Of course they can hear you.  That is not really what you were asking.  What you were really asking was “Are you going to accept my words and obey them?”  That can be very frustrating on the part of the parent. I know.  Jesus asked (Luke 6:46) “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”  In other words, don’t play games … don’t pretend …. Loving God is more than words.  There is no eternal or present value in pretending, feigning spirituality.  You may have cancer but pretend you don’t.  Pretending doesn’t change the facts and doesn’t remove the pain.   (John 14:23-26)  “Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.””
 
The Holy Spirit is an advocate for God in our lives.  It’s His voice that we hear .. not audibly .. but in the inner man.  And if we are not listening to the Spirit, it’s a love and devotion problem.  Samuel was eager to hear from God and then obeyed what he heard.  We are not always so anxious to obey.  Why?  Because we lack devotion to God.  Devotion is not a desire to do the right thing .. it is doing the right thing.  Every day we face opportunities .. opportunities to hear God’s voice and opportunities to walk in the light. Because of our nature, we need to be encouraged to do that.  Be encouraged! (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22) “Do not quench the Spirit;  do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.”  ELGIN
 
“More Than Words”
 
“Sayin' I love you Is not the words I want to hear from you It's not that I want you Not to say it, but if you only knew
 
How easy it would be to show me how you feel More than words is all you have to do to make it real Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me Cause I'd already know”
Charley Elgin

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