Devotion to God can become regarded as secondary or unimportant in many Christians’ lives today. The temptation to relegate your devotion to laziness, busyness, or some form of entertainment is common in our day and age. We can treat our love for Christ as an option rather than a way of life. Brother or sister, if this is a struggle for you, as it is for me at times, let me encourage you that Christ is better than all of these things that can entangle our faith and hinder our spiritual growth.
In the Old Testament, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah struggled with idolatry and sexual immorality (2 Chronicles). Evil kings such as Ahaz and Jehoiakim led the way for God’s people to be drawn into idolatry and to forsake the commandments of the Lord. These kings brought in pagan temples and offered sacrifices to false gods in the surrounding lands. God would not allow His people to be carried away into such foolishness. Being a good Father who disciplines those whom He loves (Heb. 12:6), God brought calamity and captivity upon His people. But He did not stop there; He sent prophets and men of God to call them back to repentance so that they might be humbled and restored to Him. The Lord desires exclusive devotion, with no competing idols (Ex. 20:3; Matt. 4:10). And just as the kingdoms of Israel and Judah departed from true devotion to God, the Lord desires for you to have true devotion to Him and His Son through the Spirit.
When King Hezekiah was inducted to rule over Judah, the Scriptures say he did what was “right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done” (2 Chr. 29:2). There was a spiritual revival taking place. Judah began to prosper in the Lord again, and God protected them from their enemies and poured out His blessing upon them as they began to repair the house of the Lord and reinstitute the priesthood. As they began to offer sacrifices again and celebrate the Passover, the Scriptures say that Hezekiah and the people experienced “great gladness” (2 Chr. 30:26).
Believers, idolatry and sin can creep into our lives, blindside us, and rob us of the great gladness we have in Christ Jesus. Are you experiencing a constant lack of joy in your walk with Him? Are you struggling with full devotion to the Lord through prayer and study? What obstacles do you see that need to be torn down and destroyed so you can have a greater love and affection for Christ? Start now, by confessing and repenting of sin that has taken possession of your worship (1 Jn 1:9) and begin repairing your devotion to the Lord. Don’t deprive yourself of your greatest need, which is to maximally love Christ. Yes, your devotion to Christ should matter to you because it matters to God, so pick back up and press on! God bless.
