Welcome Back!

I tell you the Truth,

Welcome back!  I’m looking forward to another great year!  Hope you are too!

We’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of Truth Works Devotions this year.  Actually, the original email devotion was titled “emailinistry” which was hard to spell and harder to remember.  After a couple years, we created our own publishing venture known as Truth Works Publishing and shortly after changed the email ministry to Truth Works Devotions.

When I talk about writing devotions for ten years, it sounds like extreme dedication, but to be honest, I often don’t feel that dedicated at all.  Many times, I just don’t feel devoted to writing devotions.  And when I don’t feel dedicated and devoted, I tend to feel guilty and wonder if God could ever be pleased with me.

It’s taken me ten years to really grasp the truth about dedication and devotion and guilt.  We all suffer from guilt – some of it good and some of it bad.  We all know that the Holy Spirit works to convict our hearts when He needs to.  However, that doesn’t mean that all guilt is right.  There is also an enemy that tries to create guilt in our lives – in order to drag us down rather than lift us up.

Revelation 12:10
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

There are times when the enemy accuses us and whispers guilt into our souls.  One area he works hard in is the area of dedication + devotion = God’s love.  He’ll then convince us that dedication + devotion = God’s love, which = a good day.  Suddenly, we begin to relate our own dedication and devotion to having a good day, and our lack of dedication and devotion to having a bad day.  How many times have you heard this? - “I wake up early in the morning; spend time reading God’s word and praying and the day just turns out great!”  Or, have you ever been told that, “Perhaps the reason you’re having such a bad day is because you haven’t done your devotions in the morning.”

It’s easy to slip into the “do this” and “get this” in return.  Let’s be honest - some days we wake up, forget we even know God and end up having a wonderful day!  And what about those days when we do decide to arise early, dedicate ourselves to spending time alone with Him, reading His word and meditating only to end up having one of those days we’d rather forget about.

We have to put that mindset out – that thinking is pure legalism.  Attempting to show devotion in order to get God’s attention and hopefully feel His love is a misconception.

So what’s the point?  Why am I bringing this up, since I’m the “devotion guy?”

I’m making this point because I’m hoping to change your approach to this entire dedication and devotion thing.  I believe the key to spending “devoted” time with God is not to approach it as something you “do” in order to “get something out of it.”  I challenge you to show me one verse from scripture that demands we seek a “word” from God as our form of devotion.  It doesn’t have to be a time when you must “receive a word from God” or “an answer to a perplexing problem.”   Your devotion time needs to be a time when you simply seek to worship God.  Your purpose in spending time alone with Him is to get to know Him better.  If you do get anything out of it, it’s simply because He had something for you to begin with – not because you were so dedicated.

In simple terms, I’m encouraging you to spend some time worshiping God.  It’s not a chore to worship God.

If your devotion time is a chore, then it’s turned into something that’s not worship.  We’ll dive deeper next time.  Till then, I pray you have a blessed day!

Your Servant,

Randy Hunt
randy@truthworks.com
2TIM 1:7

www.myspace.com/truthworks

If you have a prayer request and would like to see it here, please drop me an email so we can share with others.

Please pray for quick recoveries in my house!!!  My wife had eye surgery this past week, my daughter had tonsillitis and my son has strep throat.  Just pray that they all get well soon!  Thanks! - Randy