Jesus welcomed the people, taught them about the Kingdom of God and healed those in need. Luke 9:11
Testimony
The whole course is exceptional very relevant to me. I have gone away with a lot to think about. I have learnt that I don't have just to cope and be so independent. God is good & loves me, even me!.... Read More...

Seeds of the Kingdom

Devotion

by Jilly Lyon-Taylor

15 February 2019

« Previous Day | Next Day »

“Who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?” declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 30:21, NIV

We might think of the word ‘devoted’ in relation to a couple being devoted to one another, parents being devoted to their children, or someone devoted to a sport, hobby or career. Where does our devotion lie?

Today’s verse shows that God’s priority for us is that we might devote ourselves to being close to Him. Our closeness to Him, just being in His presence, is more important than anything we might do for Him. Our Heavenly Father desires fellowship with His children.

When Jesus was appointing His first twelve disciples, He went up on a mountainside and called them to Him, ‘that they might be with Him’ (Mark 3:13-14). The call to be with Him came first, before the call to preach, to heal and to cast out demons. It is the same for us – our service for Him should come out of our relationship with Him. If we are living our lives in close fellowship with Him, everything else will follow from that.

Devotion is an attitude of the heart, but it also implies a pledge or commitment. Marriage is a good example of this. When couples fall in love the heart plays a big part in their relationship. However, a strong marriage is not reliant solely on the feelings that people have for one another, as these are not always constant; it is also about the loving commitment and pledge that they have made to one another. Our devotion to the Lord is the same. It should not be reliant on how we are feeling from one day to the next, but on the pledge that we have made in our hearts to Him.

Will we devote ourselves to Him, making it a priority to draw near to Him? James 4:8 promises us that, if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. It is dependent on us, not on Him! Let’s resolve to put aside the distractions that so easily creep in (mobile phones, emails, our selfish desires for comfort), and devote ourselves to being close to Him.

Prayer: Lord, I am sorry for allowing distractions to get in the way of my relationship with You. I want to devote myself in the future to drawing near to You and remaining close to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Jilly Lyon-Taylor is part of the Leadership Team at Ellel Pierrepont. She worked in publishing and then with children in Hong Kong before concentrating on being a full-time mother and serving in the local church. Her desire to see people healed led her to the Luke Nine Eleven Training Scheme(NETS) at Pierrepont, and now she teaches and ministers there.

 

Sign Up Now

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship. Provided full acknowledgement is made to Seeds of the Kingdom as the source, you are also welcome to use it in a non-commercial way and reproduce it in magazines or other Christian websites. The copyright for any commercial use of the material remains with Ellel Ministries International.