Friday, August 31, 2012

Devotion

"And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately.  
Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind.  
For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan and thought.  
If you seek him, you will find him.  
But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.  So take this seriously.  
The LORD has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary.  Be strong, and do the work."
- 1 Chronicles 28:9-10

What has the Lord chosen you to do?  I can think of many things, both 'small' and 'large.'  Yet, while we seem to classify these things as 'small' and 'large,' they are all just as important.  Anything God charges us to do in life is for a reason and disobedience is disobedience, whether it was over a so-called 'small' or 'large' thing.  What if Solomon refused to build the temple?  He would be rejecting God.  He would not be loving him.

What if you or I reject God by refusing to love our neighbor?  By telling a "white" lie?  By lusting after someone in our flesh, in our heart, or with our eyes?  By being selfish with our time or money?  They are all equal in that they go against what God has charged us to do, just as equal as the 'large' thing Solomon was chosen to do.  Just as equal as being chosen to bring the Gospel to an unreached people and refusing to.  Just as equal as murder.  Just as equal as hate.  Just as equal as theft.  Just as equal as cursing.  Just as equal as being unkind.  We would be rejecting God.  We would not be loving him.

"Then David continued, 'Be strong and courageous, and do the work.  
Don't be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you.  
He will not fail you or forsake you.  
He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the LORD is finished correctly."
- 1 Chronicles 28:10

If God chooses you to do something, he has a reason and he will provide a way to do it.  If he chooses you to lead a Bible study, be a missionary, take care of children, coach a team, teach a class, study a subject, encourage believers, give to a ministry, etc. etc. etc., he will walk with you and lead the way.  And not just see that it is done but see that it is done CORRECTLY.  Not doing something correctly, when you know what and how correctly is, is disobedience.  And disobedience is sin.  And sin separates us from God.

What are some things we are ALL 'chosen' to do?  Love God.  Love people.  Tell the truth.  Be pure in thought, speech, and action.  Spread the Gospel.  Gather together in fellowship to worship.  Serve one another.  Give our lives and everything in it to the Lord.  Folks, how many times have we failed in one or all of these regards?  Too many times.  But that is not an excuse to continue to do so.  Like David said, "Take this seriously.  The Lord has chosen you... BE STRONG, AND DO THE WORK."  Or else one would have to ask, do you even really know God?

"And now, because of my devotion to the Temple of my God, 
I am giving all of my own private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction... 
Now then, who will follow my example and give offerings to the LORD today?"
- 1 Chronicles 29:3, 5


"Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!"
- 1 Chronicles 29:14

There is nothing on this earth that is truly ours.  It all belongs to God and he has allocated it to us for his purposes.  Doing what God asks requires giving to God what is his: our money, our time, our lives.

I love how David specifies not just to know God but to know him INTIMATELY.  Don't just have him as an acquaintance; know him better than you know anybody else.  With "your whole heart and a willing mind" get to know him.  Everyday.  Lead by example like David and give yourself fully to whatever he asks you to do.  Allocate your resources to follow his lead.  God will help you complete whatever he asks you to do.  All you have to do is obey.

Devotion: "love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause" (from the dictionary app on my Mac).

Would others describe you as being devoted to God?  Or are you devoted to something else?  Based on your speech and actions people will identify you.  How about a self-evaluation: What preoccupies your thoughts?  What preoccupies your heart?

Are you just toting God around in the backseat?  Give him the wheel.  It's where he belongs.  Trust him to take you the right way, in the right time, to the right place and don't try to do it yourself.  Because his activities are the best activities.  And his cause is the best cause.  And because he first loved us.

No comments:

Post a Comment