DEVOTIONS

Monday, May 1 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23) This is a list of treasures, not from earth, but from heaven. The kind of treasure that Jesus calls his followers to store up.  Treasure isn’t always about money.  Your treasure could be time, relationships, reputations or accomplishments.  None of which are bad, all by themselves.  Yet, all of these things become bad if they become that which you worship and serve.       

Tuesday, May 2 – “Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them.  Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” (Mark 7:15) Your problem isn’t the world.  Your problem isn’t social media.  Your problem isn’t pornography.  Your problem isn’t politics.  Your problem isn’t gambling, alcohol or drugs.  Your problem isn’t out there.  Your problem is in here.  Your problem is your heart.  Your problem isn’t what you do, it’s who you are.  Have you ever considered inviting Jesus into your heart, to transform who you are? 

Wednesday, May 3 – “Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” (1 John 2:15) I love to sit on the beach and watch the sunset, over the Gulf of Mexico.  Does this mean that the love of God isn’t in me?  Of course not.  This verse doesn’t speak of reverence, awe and wonder, in the presence of God’s gift of nature.  This verse is simply stating that there would be a problem if I worshiped and served the sunset, over the Gulf of Mexico.  If I worshiped and served nature.  For if I did, there would be no room in my life for any love for God.

Thursday, May 4 – “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” (Ephesians 3:16) You have heard the old saying, “Rotten to the core”.  Well, a follower of Jesus perspective goes like this, “Rotten from the core”.  The former insinuates that the problem is coming from the outside, contaminating the inside.  When, in actuality, the problem is coming from the inside, contaminating the outside.  Jesus wants to transform your inside.  Not just change what you do, on the outside. 

Friday, May 5 – “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does no satisfy?  Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest fare.” (Isaiah 55:2) How much time, talents and treasures do you waste every single day on stuff that just doesn’t matter?  How much time, talents and treasures do you waste every single day doing things that don’t satisfy?  Why?  Did someone teach you that you didn’t have any other choice?  Did someone tell you that it’s what is and there’s nothing you can do about it?  Why spend money on anything that doesn’t feed your soul?  Why work at anything that doesn’t fulfill your life?  Why? 

Saturday, May 6 – “When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘You still lack one thing.  Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me.’” (Luke 18:22) What is your “one thing”?  The “one thing” that is preventing you from totally following Jesus?  For this man it was his love of money.  Being rich isn’t a problem.  Loving money so much that it becomes your God, is a problem.  What or who do you worship and serve, instead of God?  It’s that which Jesus is calling you to get rid of and follow him.  What is your “one thing”?