100% Devoted
Posted by Karah
Pause
Go somewhere different for your quiet time today. Find a place far away from the TV or computer and turn off your phone and other electronic devices. Focus your heart and mind 100 percent on God and His Word.
While many of Jesus’ parables taught about the kingdom of God, others revealed what following Him actually looks like. Read Luke 10:25-28 in your Bible. As you read, underline any words or phrases that teach you something about what Jesus wants from His followers.
“Just then an expert in the law stood up to test Him, saying, ‘Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’
‘What is written in the law?’ He asked him. ‘How do you read it?’
He answered: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’” —Luke 10:25-27
Ask yourself:
Look at what you underlined in your Bible. What does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind? Write it in your own words.
-Who in your life is a good example of loving Jesus in this way? Why did you pick him or her? What does that person’s life teach you about following Jesus?
-Read verse 28 again. Jesus said, “Do this.” What did He tell the expert in the law to do in order to inherit eternal life?
-Why does Jesus want His followers to be entirely committed to Him? Explain.
Respond
Jesus wasn’t giving His followers a checklist of things they have to do to earn eternal life; He was calling them to submit every bit of their lives and themselves to Him. He wants us to wholeheartedly commit to following Him.
Your relationship with Jesus and commitment to Him should shape your decisions and values. What does your life declare about your commitment to Jesus?
If there is anything in your life that is keeping you from completely following after Jesus and walking in His ways, confess it today. In your journal, jot down your action plan to remove those things from your life.
For further study, read Luke 9:23-24; Luke 14:26-27; and 2 Timothy 3:12.
Behind the Story
In the original language, “Do this” (v. 28) is in the imperative, emphasizing a continual commitment to Christ and the way He has called us to live. The expert of the law wanted to justify works-based salvation, but Jesus said salvation came through love and devotion to God instead of merits or works. How do you see the expert’s attitude toward works-based salvation at work in the world today?
The Point
To follow Jesus means to follow Him with every part of who you are—your entire being.
Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest Alumni and Friends, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Weekly Devotions