Deeper Things

  Revelation 2:4- "But I have this against you, that you have left your first love." Have you ever made a priority list? Having priorities is important for me. I use to-do lists because I am prone to distraction. As important as priorities are, though, I want to say something that may sound contradictory to what is normally taught. Avoid prioritizing God! You read it right.  The Context of First Love Why do I say that? Revelation 2 tells the story of a church that worked hard for the faith. They persevered during persecution. They even cleaned house when they discovered false teachers in their midst. But somehow they had lost their way. Detrimentally, they abandoned their first love.  We teach in the church that losing our first love means we have put other things above God. Maybe we prioritized some sin in our life or we put all of our energy into our careers. While prioritizing other things over God may have implicated Ephesus (Revelation 2:5), the wider context of scri...

Psalm 32:8- "I will instruct you and teach you in the way  you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." A seventeenth century monk by the name of Brother Lawrence captured the essence of the Christian life when he wrote in The Practice of the Presence of God , “that we need only to recognize GOD intimately present with us, to address ourselves to Him every moment..." I believe this medieval monk experienced a life in step with God. I hope this devotion helps reveal what you may need to do to get back in step with God.   Many of us have been conditioned to think that God resides in a realm wholly disconnected from our everyday experiences. However, David reminds us that God takes an interest in us: "The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives" (Psalm 37:23).  The truth is, you may not want God to direct the details of your life. However, God's direction provides more certainty than control. Some of us ...

1 Samuel 15:22- "But Samuel replied: 'Does the Lord  delight  in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the  Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better  than the fat of rams.'" Do you have a favorite possession? An old Bible? A favorite photo? Maybe a keepsake from your childhood? Would you ever be willing to give it away? Sacrificing valuable possessions can prove difficult even if you think God wants you to give it up.   As noble as it may be to sacrifice a valued possession for God's purposes, this devotion will explain why obedience is always better than sacrifice for demonstrating our love for God.   King Saul's Attitude Toward Sacrifice The Israelites sacrificed their most valuable animal in their sacrificial system because it served as a blood substitute for their sins. Hebrews 9:22 (NLT) explains: "...according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of...

  Matthew 22:37-40- "Jesus replied: “'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” My wife and I normally enjoy a favorite TV show. Typically, the show we decide to binge watch relates to some type of mystery. Right now we are watching The Curse of Oak Island. We are rooting for the two brothers who are conducting the treasure hunt on this illusive island.  The Mystery Revealed Mysteries captivate my attention because they usually probe unanswered questions. I think there is a surprising mystery that relates to the meaning of loving our neighbor as ourselves. Most of us have been taught that loving our neighbor as ourselves means that we are supposed to love other people in the same way that we love ourselves. In a sense, this great commandment has become a continuati...

  Matthew 22:37-40- Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Have you ever seen the movie, "Evan Almighty" (2007)? It's the humorous story of a young family man recently elected to Congress. The story follows his family's relocation to Washington D.C. so he can begin his term of service in the nation's capital city. The story begins by Evan Baxter, played by Steve Carell, kneeling beside his bed in prayer asking God to change the world through him. The story follows his hilarious attempts to ignore God's call upon his life to change his world.  Imagine that God appeared to you with the unique chance to change your world in a significant way. Unlike this movie character, God explains how He is going to use you to solve the world...