Josiah Elias
2-1-11
2-1-11
Simple Devotions
“Maturity is not the occasional application of extraordinary things, rather it is the consistent application of elementary things.”- Damon Thompson
I’m coming to find more and more that the simple things of the Kingdom are the most powerful elements of the Kingdom when it becomes ingrained into my lifestyle.
I can find momentary moments of blissful glimpses of Heaven, or supernatural encounters on an occasional basis, but they all seem so frustrating in that they seem so random. What I’m learning is that the simple devotions in my daily routine are starting to create an even more dedicated disciplined lifestyle of diligence and hunger for God! This element to my lifestyle is therefore flinging wide open the doors of the supernatural in my life more than ever!
In basic terms, I noticed that the hunger would come and go when I wasn’t being devotional to God on a daily basis. There was an inconsistency. It was always after Jesus Culture, or after a big conference, or on a good night at youth when the songs were just right that I noticed my desire for God was at its peaks.
Now, regardless of where I am, what songs are playing, or who's preaching I’m pressing in to an intimacy with God that has heightened the level of my walk with the Lord that appears to be capsizing the up’s and down’s of my spiritual walk! WHY? BECAUSE THERE IS CONSISTENCY!
Its becoming a lifestyle! Think of this relationally. The best way I know how to incorporate an analogy.
Who am I to expect that my relationship with my wife is going to be anything amazing when we only meet on rare occasion. Yea I’ll see you in a couple days. I’ll read your love letter to me only…a couple minutes every couple days. I’ll talk to you only on Wednesdays and Sundays. But in my heart I’m still believing for this wonderful spectacular relationship with her, saturated in love, romantic, and having her all googly eyed over me.
Just like…who are we to believe that God is going to bestow this incredible healing anointing upon us, blast this place in Revival, take us to Heaven in visions and we only see Him on the occasional basis? We only read His love letter to us when we feel like it. Relationally, it just doesn't work.
God responds to us! He responds to the lifestyle that we live and how we position Him in our lives. I’m not saying that those things God doesn’t give freely because certainly He does, but there is a concept in the Kingdom where we do our part and God does His.
If a King is Ruler over His Kingdom, but there are some rebels in the Kingdom that don't see Him or place Him as their King, than to them He is not King. THOUGH THE FACT REMAINS, that He is King, just not over their lives because they have not positioned Him as King over their lives.
We have the same circumstances with our walk with God, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, no matter what! That's fact! But until we position Him as King over our lives, we will never see Him with any Ruler ship over us. We have to position Him correctly to relate to Him correctly. Again, we do our part and you'll see His part manifest much more tangibly.
Jas 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
We get to this place where we think that because we’re a Christian that God is just going to do everything we could ever want Him to do and we just get to sit back and enjoy the ride! Sometimes God does sovereignly take you on an incredibly journey and you never see it coming, but most of the time its in response to something that you are seeking. Your diligence.
Psa 9:10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
Who doesn’t He forsake? Those who seek Him?
Seek- dârash daw-rash'- usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by implication to seek or ask; specifically TO WORSHIP.
I would propose to you that whatever you are seeking, that is what you are worshiping.
Some of us are probably are seeking a lot of things other than God…and we wonder why we don’t see the things that those with disciplined devotional lives with God experience. All these awesome promises from God and yet we cannot find the breakthrough we are looking for?!
One key is….the consistent application of elementary things. The consistency in reading your Bible, the consistency in praying to God, The consistency of a worship dedicated life.
If I was seeking to find out who my wife really is, I wouldn’t just meet with her when I felt like or when the mood was there…I would CHASE AFTER HER! As often as I could, try to find out what makes her tick, whenever she was available, stay up late hours and talk on the phone, meet up at inconvenient places, which was a SACRIFICE!!! Because I wanted to get to know this person that I was falling in love with!
What are you willing to sacrifice…what are you willing to fit into your “busy schedule” so that you get to know this one that you should be falling in love with? Is it only Wednesdays and Sundays? If so, your sacrifice is minuscule.
ITS SO WORTH IT TO LAY EVERYTHING DOWN AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
How is it you have to seek God? Diligently! I would be lying if I said that I diligently sought after my wife when we were just getting to know each other and the whole time I was just sitting at home playing xbox and eating string cheese...I truly had to pursue her and wow, my reward will forever be great!
Jas 1:9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,
Jas 1:10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.
Jas 1:11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
The idea is…whatever you are pursuing, make sure that it has some eternal value. The pursuites of life that only are beautiful during this life and have no eternal weight, will certainly fade away. Just like the flower of the field, the sunrise which will eventually set, they all fade away and their glory only lasts for a short time. Pursuing God and developing relationship with Him while here on earth, will last for eternity. Make sure that the things that take up the space in your mind and heart…is the things of the Kingdom. When the Kingdom does take up most of the space in your heart, than you will find that its pretty awesome to spend those times with the Lord in prayer, or reading the word and worshiping!
These disciplines will beget supernatural encounters!! I’ll tell you that right now!
If you want to heal the sick. Than learn how to develop these simple disciplines. If you want to learn to prophesy, read your Bible and pray. If you want to raise the dead, read your Bible and pray and worship daily.
The simple disciplines will open the door to an extraordinary venue where God enjoys showing off.
