The Word:
“On judgment day many will
tell me, ‘Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your
name and performed many miracles in your name.’
But I will reply, ‘I never knew you.
Go away; the things you did were unauthorized.” Matthew 7:22-23
Prayer:
God, I have a
confession to make. I am guilty. I have mixed up my devotion and love for you
with my service to you. Does my service
come from a relationship with Your Son, Jesus Christ, or as a substitute for it? When I serve, even in the Lord’s name, people
may respect me more. People are
grateful, and they give verbal affirmation and letters of praise. I can get so intoxicated from the fruit of
service that I end up becoming a people pleaser, instead of a servant of the
Most High God. So often, I end up doing
religious deeds from a self-centered heart for what I can get out of it. The end result is, I do things in your name,
but stay so busy that I don’t have a friendship with You. Do you even know me? God, I want you to know me! Spare me from just being religious
externally. Change me from within.
Act of Devotion:
Think of a kind deed
you’ve performed in the past week.
Examine your motives in doing it.
Was it to be a people pleaser, or simply an act of devotion and love?
© Life Promotions, Inc., 2003 • www.lifepromotions.com,
www.lifedevotions.com
Written by Bob Lenz for Life Promotions