Are you devoted?

Christian, are you really loving your Lord on a daily basis? Has the fire of your spiritual passions gone cold? Are your devotions looking pretty mechanical? Listen to JC Ryle

Let us remember this in our private devotions. It must not satisfy us to say good words, if our heart and our lips do not go together. What does it profit us to be fluent and lengthy, if our imaginations are roving far away while we are upon our knees? It profits us nothing at all. God sees what we are really doing, and rejects our offering. Heart-prayers are the prayers He loves to hear. Heart-prayers are the only prayers that He will answer. Our petitions may be weak, and stammering, and poor in our eyes. They may be presented with no fine words, or well-chosen language, and might seem almost unintelligible, if they were written down. But if they come from a right heart, God understands them. Such prayers are His delight.

~ J. C. Ryle

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark, (Banner of Truth).

1 thought on “Are you devoted?

  1. Pastor Dave, could God’s words recorded in the first chapter of Isiah extend to the nations of the world today? Aren’t we as christians who support our warring nations (in extention) anongst the very one’s God is speaking to ? after all, haven’t these things been written for a warning to us upon whom the ends of the systems of things have arrived. Are not the hands of every person that supports a nations war efforts bloodguilty ? And unless we seperate ourselves as true christians, who are supposed to love our enemies as ourselves, a part of the world which we should be seperating ourselves from ?
    (Isaiah 1:11-15) 11 “Of what benefit to me is the multitude of YOUR sacrifices?” says Jehovah. “I have had enough of whole burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed animals; and in the blood of young bulls and male lambs and he-goats I have taken no delight. 12 When YOU people keep coming in to see my face, who is it that has required this from YOUR hand, to trample my courtyards? 13 Stop bringing in any more valueless grain offerings. Incense—it is something detestable to me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of a convention—I cannot put up with the [use of] uncanny power along with the solemn assembly. 14 YOUR new moons and YOUR festal seasons my soul has hated. To me they have become a burden; I have become tired of bearing [them]. 15 And when YOU spread out YOUR palms, I hide my eyes from YOU. Even though YOU make many prayers, I am not listening; with bloodshed YOUR very hands have become filled.. . .
    How can we say we love God who we can not see when we can kill another man who is created in Gods image and is potentially a spiritual brother whom we can see ?
    The question is asked in the above expository, ” What does it profit us to be fluent and lengthy, if our imaginations are roving far away while we are upon our knees? It profits us nothing at all. God sees what we are really doing, and rejects our offering. How true, and yet without seeing the whole picture of our involvement in what God detests and applying God’s council to turn away from it, what does it profit us ?

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