June 21 / Every Day God: Pure Devotion

Amos 5:21-26

Amplified Bible (AMP)

21 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will not smell a savor or take delight in your solemn assemblies.

22 Though you offer Me your burnt offerings and your cereal offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I look upon the peace or thank offerings of your fatted beasts.

23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I will not listen to the melody of your harps.

Revelation 3:16

Amplified Bible (AMP)

16 So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth!

2 Corinthians 11:3

Amplified Bible (AMP)

³ But [now] I am fearful, lest that even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted and seduced from wholehearted and sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

What is pure devotion?

What if I was faithful and devoted to Scott most of the time, but I had a couple of men friends on the side? Oh and let’s say I hardly ever saw these men, just a few times a year, maybe, and I assured Scott they meant nothing to me. Is that sincere and pure devotion? A thousand times no.

It’s adultery, plain and simple.

When I was in my teens and early twenties, I was a slacker. I didn’t pray much, and I rarely read my Bible. My heart was far from God. I would sit in church, hear amazing preaching, and feel conviction like crazy. I would go to the altar, cry and vow to do better the next week. I would pray some on Monday, and then it was downhill from there. I wasn’t drinking and partying or anything like that, but I didn’t have pure devotion to my first Love, Jesus. 
I knew how to go to church and act the part. (I had been in church all my life). I still felt God. But I didn’t have pure devotion. My heart was divided.

I was active in the Music Ministry, played the keyboard and sang praises to God on Sunday, but during the week my heart was far from Him. I was busy seeking after my own selfish desires.

I felt God’s presence when I sang, and hoped that maybe I was “getting away with” my lack of commitment.

What really was going on was Spiritual Adultery.

 James 4: 8

Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁸ Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery].

Did I just give up? No! Even though I became very discouraged. Even though I kept pursuing my own selfish desires. For example, instead of spending time with God, all my spare time was spent reading books, watching movies, hanging with friends, staying up late at night and sleeping late in the morning, etc. These aren’t bad things, but they took the place of my time with God. One thing was constant. I had a desire to serve God. Even though it was hidden waaaaay down deep in my heart somewhere, covered up by all that seeking to please myself, it was there. And GOD saw it! And He kept wooing me. I’m soooooo glad He kept drawing me to Him.

I did one thing right. I kept going to church. I kept repenting down at the altar. I kept trying.  Even though I failed miserably for years. I never gave up. And Jesus never gave up on me!

 

James 1:22-25

Amplified Bible (AMP)

²² But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].

²³ For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and  being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror;

²⁴ For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.

²⁵ But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and  is faithful to it and  perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).

He shall be blessed. What do you want from God? He wants to bless you. He wants to give you the desires of your heart! 

Think about it. What do you want?

Okay, now ask God what he wants from you. Is it simply pure, undivided devotion? Or is it something else? Maybe you don't have a clear vision of what He wants from you. Just ask Him. I PROMISE He will tell you. His answer may surprise you. His answer may disappoint you. You may say, "Not that, God, please not that!" 
I can tell you from personal experience that every time God asks something of you, He blesses you 100 times over when you give it up. Plus you have unbelievable freedom when you just do it!!! I'd say 99% of the time, its something that was either hindering you from drawing close to Him, or its something that will cause you great pain later. What's cool is He knows your future! So whatever it is may seem innocent and harmless to you, but He obviously knows something you don't know. He only wants the very best for you. You are His precious child! You are the apple of His eye. Really.

Psalm 17:8

King James Version (KJV)

8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, 

Jesus wants to bless us!  But we have to get ourselves out of the way first. We have to lay aside our fleshly desires and pursue a relationship with Jesus Christ every day of the week, not just on Sunday.

"Jesus, forgive me! I have been divided! I long for the pure devotion that You desire of me! I want to kill my fleshly desires, even if they seem harmless. I want to please You and You alone. You are my First Love! Take me back, O God, to that First Love devotion to You! Strip away the things that hinder me from drawing close to You. I don't want my worship to be disgusting to You! I don't want my worship to be dispicable to You! I want to send up a pleasant aroma to You, my God. Pure devotion is what You want from me. And in return You want to bless me like never before! Thank You for speaking to me through Your amazing word. How I love You, Jesus. AMEN!"