Daily Devotional
Can Religion Fill Your Heart?
“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’”
John 4:13-14
August 31, 2023
Ponder This
Most people in America don’t need religion. We’ve got enough religion. What we need is a personal, vital relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and true salvation with joy. Will you draw water from the well of salvation? What a wonderful lesson there is for us here today.
Is that your experience? Is there in you a river bubbling up? Is there in you a satisfaction because you have drunk deeply of Jesus? But more than satisfaction, are you being a blessing? Is your life overflowing with blessing? It’s amazing to me how many people today are trying to find the answer. Some people think the answer is intellectual. They think if they can just learn more facts, if they can just learn more theology, if they can just learn more history, if they can just learn more of this or that, then they will be satisfied. So, they go from class to class and church to church with their heads getting fuller and their hearts getting emptier.
The Pharisees thought the answer to life was the way they lived, primarily noted by what they did or didn’t do. Does that sound familiar? I don’t do this. I don’t do that. They had religion, but they didn’t have reality. It’s time to stop enduring religion and start enjoying salvation. It is time that you come to understand what the great heart of Jesus longed for.
- How would you describe the difference between religion and having a relationship with God?
- What are some ways you have tried to find satisfaction with life?
Practice This
Consider where you may be deferring more to religion than investing in a personal relationship with Jesus. Pray and repent about these things.
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.’”
