The Pregnancy, The Purpose and The Person of our devotion.

The word devotion is pregnant with meaning, filled deeply with historical and practical guidance for the Christian life.  Devotion, has been described as a feeling, a pledge, a spiritual duty of fealty and those descriptions don’t even touch upon this word’s implications regarding loyalty, steadfastness and love.  It is a noun that may be used as adjective or utilized describe the rich, strong roots of a man’s dedication to work, family and Father God.  What then are we to think of this word as it passes by our minds in brief inspection?

Think on this.  What is the difference in comparison between commitment and dedication?  Can you effectively describe the veiled nuances that discriminate their use?  Is one used for duty and the other for prayer or are they simply interchangeable in their meaning, tone, use and timing?  How does Christian devotion differ from that of any single man who does not know God?  Does it bother us that each Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Wicken and agnostic follow their own daily devotions, each believing themselves a bit more worthy after practiced prayer and ritualistic murmur?  What then establishes Christian devotion as unique, resembling none other in its content, shape, practice and purpose?  Why, that uniqueness is found clearly, simply, unmistakably in the “object” of our devotion the Lord Jesus Christ.  For see it is the not the quality, quantity, consistency or content of our devotions, that make them precious but the fact that our God is worthy to be praised.

Why then is God so worthy of our unrequited devotion, our steadfast love, our undiminished dedication to service in the completion of His Will?  Perhaps we may for a moment think on the etymology of its inspiration, where did the word devotion arise?  Some say 12th century, some say 4th, but the Jewish People or those who have studied God’s Word know much better.  Just as God’s Word is filled with seemingly infinite layers of meaning, symbolism and personal conviction, as is customary of the Holy Spirit inspired thought, the Jewish word, Hesed, provides ample content for investigation.  See we often take things for granted in our own lives and miss the opportunity to truly peel back the layers of complexity, even with regard to our children, our spouses and our interactions with the Almighty and His Creation.  Hesed is not one of those words that may not be simply defined in a single word, or even phrase, but it best describes God’s Loyalty to the Jewish People.  It represents a loyalty to someone that has nothing to do with their actions, disobedience, rejection, kindness or dedication.  God has always been loyal to the Jewish Nation, because He committed to do so.  That type of loyalty is not easily described, just as in the word devotion, God’s Love for Israel transcends the simple classification of noun, verb or modifying adjective, it is an action, a thing, a way of living and a complex love.

Why then do we not contemplate God’s Loyalty with such commitment or devotion?  Are we to mimic this loyalty, of course, that is the challenge of God’s Christian, as set forth by Jesus in Matthew 22:34-39 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.  This is the level of devotion to which we have each been called and unconditional devotion to God above all things and to love in the way that He has loved us even when we but sinners.  We should also praise Him for His steadfast loyalty to Israel, even when they openly disobeyed and challenged Him He has never once been unfaithful.  That my friends is devotion.

What then of the purpose for our devotion?

Is devotion a thing to be turned to ritual, calling us to rote prayer,  proclaiming us worthy by works of piety?  Of course not, the devotion we are meant to express may be described in a graph of a line over time.  Imagine the X and Y axis with the horizontal line being a time, running from left to right and the vertical line being level of devotion.  Each man’s devotion, not unlike sanctification may only be a thing measured over time.  Just as God’s Loyalty to the Jews was only visible through steadfast demonstration of the millennia, our loyalty must be demonstrated and grown as a slope of the line, a function over time.  No one may know if a man is loyal unless that man demonstrates that quality over time.  The center line of the graph is Jesus, and after we meet we either increase in devotion stay flat or decrease.  We all hope to be thought as entirely dependable and trustworthy, but each of knows that our lines probably goes up, down then up again all the way until we reach that day when we meet Jesus.  Is devotion a reasonable measure for the character of man?  I think so, perhaps you agree?

Can we remain fully devoted to Jesus Christ the King by standing still in our Christian walk?  Is our any increase of devotion dependent on faith, sanctification and continue walking with the Lord?  If this is established truth then isn’t devotion one of the characteristics that we must attend regularly in our marriages, our work relations, our friendships, prayer and worship?  Can we practically consider that we shall ever resemble God’s Loyalty without intentional focus upon the building blocks of fealty?  Can we make up our minds to be devoted, increase our devotion, build our devotion or is increased devotion similar to forgiving an enemy, so difficult that we must have the Holy Spirit’s assistance to accomplish the task?  I think that devotion is so deep in its meaning, so rare in its importance, so desirous to every Christian man that we should take the steps and know that God is “Loyal” to complete the work that He first began in each of us.

What then makes this task so easy?  It is that the object of our devotion is the Lord Jesus Christ.  Do you know Him?  Do you comprehend to whom you have sworn your undying loyalty?  Ephesians 1:15-23 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.  Are you seeing the hope of His calling, are you seeing the reason for the practicality of your devotion, that Christ deserves our 100% devotion, our very best, our “all”, the last drop of our sweat, blood and treasure,  because that is what He gives us, “always”.  Christ has never sinned against us, yet He gives us unmeasured loyalty, grace and forgiveness because He chooses to do so.  Shouldn’t our “reasonable” act of service to Him first include a dedication, pledge and action plan to remain devoted in our relationships as a visible commitment to reflect His type of devotion.

Praise God in the Mighty, Faithful and merciful name of Jesus Christ the King.