Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Christian Devotion: One Thought, One Path - Hebrews 13:14

Hebrews 13:14            For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

As Christians, we should always be seekers of God. Our purpose is to learn more and more about God through His Son, Jesus Christ. Our Christian Education did not end when we left Sunday School as a child or joined the church as an adult. As each day passes, we should know more about God than the day before.

This takes commitment, focus, and time, all of which are rare commodities in post-modern living. We want to read the next best seller or watch the latest episode of our favorite show. We wait in line for the next i-phone or pair of shoes. We queue up for the latest blockbuster at the movies or for the next thing in purses and clothes. We accumulate things instead of garnering knowledge. We add to our existence with objects, instead of increasing our experience of God.

            We exist to seek God but we allow ourselves to be distracted by things that will eventually wear down and be thrown out. We delude ourselves into thinking that money buys happiness, or brazenly convince ourselves that it will make us more content. We spend our lives looking for things that can’t last forever. We fool ourselves into filling up our lives with useless toys, appliances, and gadgets. We know in our hearts that we should seek God, but we excuse ourselves by taking God for granted and think that God indulges us. We idolize ourselves and become the center of a personal finite universe that will one day crumble and fall. We embrace our own spiritual extinction, instead of seeking God. In the end, we die alone, while God still exists for those who truly seek.

            There is One Thought in the entire universe: God exists.
There is One Path for our lives: Seek God.

Questions for personal reflection

What am I doing with my life? What does God expect me to do?

Prayer:            God of All Being, You exist and we only live in Your existence. May we set aside the delusions and distractions that misdirect us. May we seek more of You each and every day. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions on today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.


Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost images called “Spirit Guide.” If you would like to view a larger version, click on the following link: https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2908/13965185094_ee1b094897_b.jpg


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