Daily Devotional
Are You Spiritually Asleep?
“I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.”
1 John 2:12-14
August 10, 2021
Ponder This
When Dwight L. Moody became a Christian, he developed such a hunger for God’s Word, spent so much time reading it, and was so quick to obey it, that he became a menace to some believers. His rapid spiritual growth was an embarrassment to certain people who, though they had been saved for years, never grew up in Christ. Week after week in the church Moody attended, he would share a new experience that he’d had with the Lord. Finally, some of the older saints who couldn’t stand feeling humiliated by his exemplary life went to Moody’s uncle and urged him to quiet down his nephew. As Ethel Barrett wrote of Moody, his robust spiritual health and bounding energy disturbed their napping. He was just too much. While they were sucking their thumbs, he was growing until he left them far behind. He grew more in a few years than they did in thirty because he got in the Word of God. Likewise, we need to get the Word of God in our hearts and lives if we’re going to grow.
- How would you rate your current hunger for God’s Word?
- Where do you need to be disturbed from “spiritual sleep”?
Practice This
Make some goals for spiritual maturity and share those with a Christian brother or sister who is close to you. Make a plan for regular time spent in the Word, seeking to grow in Christian maturity.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
