http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2042:1-2&version=NIV
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2063:1&version=NIV
Many years ago, as a teenager, I read a tract or some article about personal devotions. I can’t remember which it was. But I do remember what I read. The author stated that if you were doing your devotions (Bible reading and prayer) simply out of duty or habit you should quit. I think what the author was trying to convey is that devotions is more about a relationship with God than it is about performance. About checking something off of our daily to-do list. I can appreciate that and will look at this further in a future post. However, I think that the author could have given a better solution to this problem. Anyway, the result was that since I was faithfully doing my devotions but didn’t ‘feel’ anything, I quit doing them. For about 3 years. Right when I was 18-21 years of age. Right when I needed to be connecting to God more than ever. As I have reflected on this over the years I have come to one conclusion: it was BAD ADVICE!Yes, I understand the whole ‘connection’ thing. Our relationship with God should be living and dynamic. It is more than the sum total of what we do for Him. But I also understand that feelings aren’t supposed to drive our lives. We might not always ‘feel’ like going to work but we go anyway. We might not always ‘feel’ like making dinner or doing the laundry but we do it anyway. And we might not always ‘feel’ like following through on our spiritual disciplines. But we should do them anyway.
As a pastor periodically I have people tell me that they no longer do their devotions because they don't get anything out of them. That they were just going through the motions. Or they felt like they were doing them for the wrong motives. Not wanting to be a hypocrite, they decided to quit. I suppose until such time as the feelings returned. Guess what? The feelings rarely, if ever, return! Now God certainly wants us to do things, especially our spiritual disciplines, from the right motives. But I would rather have people pray and read their Bible, despite not feeling like it, than not to pray and read at all. The fact is that even if you do your devotions simply out of duty, at least God still has a chance to speak to you. That opportunity is gone if you don't do your devotions at all. The truth is that there have been many times in my walk with God when the last thing I felt like doing was my devotions. But I did them anyway. This is the nature of obedience.
Let’s face it. The enemy (that would be Satan) will do ANYTHING to keep us from connecting with God. This includes causing us to have no feelings when we are attempting to connect with Him. So what? As Christians, we are called to live the Christian life by faith. Not feelings. Faith is believing that God is still pleased with us. That He is still working in our lives as we worship, pray, and read our Bible. Despite the absence of feelings. My personal opinion, is that if we do the right thing long enough (attending church, personal devotions, tithing, serving) the feelings will eventually come. Again, the danger of not doing these things is that the feelings might never resurface! Then where does that leave us?
So as you embark on another year of serving God I hope that you will make a commitment. A commitment to have a regular devotional time this coming year. To read a portion of your Bible and to spend some time in prayer. Whether you feel like it or not. Whether you see any fruit from it or not.
If you really want your life to count for God, if you really want to hear Him say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’, then you’ve got to be busy doing the right things. Having our devotions, where we speak to God and He speaks to us, is one of the right things. And doing the right thing always pays. Now. And for eternity.
Lord, how sad I feel that I wasted several years of my life not having my devotions, all because of some misguided advice. Now I know better. I know that You desire faithfulness and obedience in my life no matter how I feel. Good. Bad. Or indifferent. As I embark on yet another year I pray that You will help me to be committed to You in every area of my life. Knowing that it will pay off. That I will become closer and deeper in my relationship with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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