Are you in danger of becoming lukewarm?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
(Revelation 3:16 (NIV))

We know that this is the message to the church in Laodicea. When we think of this passage, we instantly think about a faith that is neither hot, nor is it cold. They do not possess a faith that is on fire, yet they don’t possess a faith that is nonexistent. They are somewhere in the middle.

They believe in Jesus, but they believe in the power of their wealth and self sufficiency more!

Don’t be so self sufficient that you become lukewarm!

Did that last statement catch you off guard?

Think about that for a moment. Are you more concerned about your house and cars than you are about your faith in Jesus? Do you pay more attention to the things that make you money than you do to the One who brought you salvation? Do you think that your lifestyle is because of the things that you have done? Have you relegated God to be a distant second, or even lower, in your priorities? When things look bad, do you look to your own understanding to get you onto a firmer foundation, or do you turn to the Lord in prayer?

Professing a faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior is a choice!

It is a choice I pray that everyone will make.

Becoming lukewarm is also a choice, and it is a choice of neglect. It happens when you neglect to spend time daily in His Word and in prayer. It happens when you neglect to place God above all other gods. It happens when you neglect to love the Creator more than the creation. It happens when you neglect to realize that faith must be nurtured, and, as a result, you become so comfortable in your faith that you think that you have it made! It comes when you neglect to realize that you cannot handle anything that the world sends your way. It comes when you neglect to realize that your self sufficiency means absolutely nothing.

Are you in danger of becoming lukewarm?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do you praise God in the middle of your storms?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.
(Psalms 143:4-6 (NIV))

Life can and will be pretty disheartening at times. We all face things in this life that are far from perfect. These are things that make us dismayed and heavy hearted. These things weigh heavily upon our spirits. Sometimes, they are so overwhelming that we simply want to curl up and remove ourselves from the weight of the world as it comes pressing in on us.

What do you do in times like this?

Some people will actually curl up. Some will try to escape by isolating themselves. Some will even go so far as to pack up and leave whatever is overwhelming them. Some will turn to family and friends for help, and others will turn to God.

I find it interesting that all those who turn to God actually gain strength and maturity from their situations. Everyone else turns inward and sees no hope while those who turn to God see things from His perspective. They look at all that He has done throughout all of creation and all of history and realize that He is more than sufficient to handle whatever they are going through.

They praise Him in the middle of their storms!

Do you praise God in the middle of your storms?

Copyright 1998 – 2017 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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