Word for Today, Sat, 5 Jun 2004: No Substitute for a Personal Relationship
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
Max Lucado is a popular author and pastor. He writes some
thought provoking comments in his weekly devotional. This one I
thought was particularly worthwhile to share with you.
Yours in Christ,
Brian
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June 2, 2004
UpWords
A Weekly Devotional from Max Lucado
Surrogate Spiritual
By Max Lucado
Some of us have tried to have a daily quiet time and have not
been successful. Others of us have a hard time concentrating.
And all of us are busy. So rather than spend time with God,
listening for his voice, we'll let others spend time with him
and then benefit from their experience. Let them tell us what
God is saying. After all, isn't that why we pay preachers? Isn't
that why we read Christian books? These folks are good at daily
devotions. I'll just learn from them.
If that is your approach, if your spiritual experiences are
secondhand and not firsthand, I'd like to challenge you with
this thought: Do you do that with other parts of your life? I
don't think so.
You don't do that with vacations. You don't say, "Vacations are
such a hassle, packing bags and traveling. I'm going to send
someone on vacation for me. When he returns, I'll hear all about
it and be spared all the inconvenience." Would you do that? No!
You want the experience firsthand. You want the sights
firsthand, and you want to rest firsthand. Certain things no one
can do for you.
You don't do that with romance. You don't say, "I'm in love with
that wonderful person, but romance is such a hassle. I'm going
to hire a surrogate lover to enjoy the romance in my place. I'll
hear all about it and be spared the inconvenience." Who would do
that? Perish the thought. You want the romance firsthand. You
don't want to miss a word or a date, and you certainly don't
want to miss the kiss, right? Certain things no one can do for
you.
You don't let someone eat on your behalf, do you? You don't say,
"Chewing is such a bother. My jaws grow so tired, and the
variety of tastes is so overwhelming. I'm going to hire someone
to chew my food, and I'll just swallow whatever he gives me."
Would you do that? Yuck! Of course not! Certain things no one
can do for you.
And one of those is spending time with God.
Listening to God is a firsthand experience. When he asks for
your attention, God doesn't want you to send a substitute; he
wants you. He invites you to vacation in his splendor. He
invites you to feel the touch of his hand. He invites you to
feast at his table. He wants to spend time with you. And with a
little training, your time with God can be the highlight of your
day.
For more great resources to help you grow in your relationship
with God, please visit Crosswalk Faith:
link.salemwebnetwork.com/UM/T.asp?A1.207.22608.2.293748
View the full selection of devotionals available from Crosswalk.com
here:
link.salemwebnetwork.com/UM/T.asp?A1.207.22608.3.293748
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Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
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