DEVOTION

I have to be honest, last week my old patters started kicking back in. Before I knew it a few hours had gone by cleaning the house, then a few on the computer, a few doing errands, then unwinding and watching TV with my hubby. Suddenly it was 11:00pm and I still hadn't opened my Bible. By that point we were both so tired while reading, we were not able to fully invest our hearts and time into the scripture. Feeling bad, I decided to start fresh the next day. Again the busyness set in and it was lunch time before I had even uttered a word to God. The days just kept slipping away and I was noticing with each passing day, my joy in the Lord was slipping away as well. In my acts of selfishness and choosing my own time over time with God, I was chipping away at my spiritual zeal. God commands us to be "never lacking in zeal and always keeping your spiritual fervor serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11) I have found that's kind of hard to do when I'm consuming my days with ME. Those few days I was quick to anger, impatient, frustrated with people, selfish, sad...not joyful in the Lord! Do you guys ever start to feel guilty or bad about something and instead of fixing it you just turn away from it even more? Sometimes I do that, I say well its too late now, I've been choosing worldly things over God all day so it won't be sincere to start now, I'll try again tomorrow... Almost like how we are with diets...well I messed up and ate chips already so I might as well have this cupcake too! Haha silly I know but its so easy for me to slip into that mind frame. That is a selfish mind frame, that is not of God! He wants our time, our DEVOTION, our love, all the time!

God was totally convicting me about not only the physical time I give him, but my devotion and dedication to him. I remembered Christina talking about a verse in 2Timothy how even when we are faithless God remains faithful. While searching for that verse, I kept reading in 2 Timothy and was so sad when I got to 2 Timothy 3. It says "Godlessness in the Last days: but mark this, there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them...(Vs9) men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected."

Wow, I got teary eyed reading this, I feel like this chapter describes much of me and how I act. I devote so much time to these sinful acts and worldly things and so little time fearing God. I was extremely convicted by "having a form of godliness but denying its power". How sad. I felt immediate sorrow that this is how I am treating my GOD! My King! I am so sorry God! Thank you for your faithfulness to me and taking me back time &time again, thank you for constantly revealing yourself to me and for putting your convictions on my heart.

Soooo, I'm back to the basics. God I choose to turn the TV, computer, and all other distractions off &be devoted to you through my day. I choose to choose your way and not these godless ways listed above. Every hour of the day I will have a choice to make of acting of the world or of you, and I choose you God. So when I sit down to do what many Christians call my "devotions" (or my quiet time with God), I am trying to make a conscious effort to do just that, be devoted! Is it really devoting myself to God when I do my "devotions" at end of the night when I'm exhausted and have nothing left to give? No! I need to be living a life of constant devotion. I’m praying and reflecting on what that means, I’m praying for God to expose areas in my life I can give up to him in order to be more devoted and I encourage each of you to do the same!

I'll end with this verse,
2 Timothy 1: 11
"Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,We will also live with him;
If we endure, We will also reign with him.
If we disown him, He also will disown us;
If we are faithless,
He will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

Wow how powerful is that verse? If we are faithless, he will remain faithful for he cannot disown himself. These were just the words I needed to hear to kick my butt back into gear. How selfish of me to think I can only praise God XYZ are met. I can and should praise God in the morning, in the middle of the night, when I'm sick, when I'm tired, when I'm frustrated, when I‘m joyful. I should come to God when I have been faithless and when I have been faithful. He is always there and all he wants from us is to choose him over everything else, and for me that starts with devoting my undivided time to God.

God has been so faithful to place Godly women and people around me to encourage and inspire me in my walk with God! I have it so easy, I have about 7 Bibles in my house, a handful of God fearing women in my life, an awesome church, a wonderful Christian hubby, all surrounding me with the word of God yet I somehow still manage to squeeze in MY way, MY will, MY desires, MY time. Help me give these areas up to you God! Thank you for your constant faithfulness, even when I am unfaithful.

Love to all my Ladies, Megs