Devotion

I have started a new reading plan with some advice from my husband. I have wanted and been attempting to read through the Old Testament for the last few months now and have notice very little progress and I wasn't obtaining much from it either. So my husband suggested that I was reading it to slowly and I realized that I was not soaking it in prayer as well. I have made a schedule for my reading and I started it this morning. I am thouroughly excited about this journey for I long to know God deeper than I do now. Every morning I plan to read up to 25 chapters in each book unless they don't contain that many and then I will have to combine from the next chapter. This morning it took me about one hour. At first my thought was that is to long maybe I should cut it down to 15 chapters but then I caught myself, see that is about all of my "me" or "alone time" until my "T-rex" arises from his slumber. For a split second I almost deflated my time with the Lord because it took all of my time in the morning, it leaves no time for my selfish and meaningless other desires. I have decided to either get up earlier to do those or to do them only if I have time after my 25 or so chapters delving into God's word and alone time with Him.

I have had to check my motives for why I want to read through the Old Testament. I think initially I wanted to just read through it to say I had and to beable to join in conversations I could not do before but and I know that is why my first attempt at to do this was not fruitful or satisfying to my soul. This morning when I dived into His word I soaked it in prayer first and then slowly and excitedly journeyed through the Creation, Cain and Abel, Noah, Abram and Sarai, Lot, Sodom and Gomorrah, and left reluctantly with Abraham and Abimelech in chapter 20. The journey left me desiring more and understanding more of my Lord.

So I am devoting my alone time in the morning to the Lord. [Acts 2:42 "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."] I desire to be devoted to the Lord each morning as the Jews were in Acts to the apostles' teachings, to fellowship with eachother and to prayer. Devoted is a strong word because it means to give all of your energy, time, and your mind to the object of your devotion. It means that you will be faithful in your attempts, that you will fullfil what you said you would, and that even when it gets tough or even seems impossible at times you will persevere and be loyal in the end. I am devoted to my husband in our marriage and in the same way that I am devoted to him I want to be devoted to the Lord in my alone time with Him. This is something that I have desired for awhile now to be devoted but I warn you it takes discipline and desire. Getting up early is not easy for me but it is the only time I have to be completely alone and able to fully submerge myself in His word and in communion with Him with no interuptions.

“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts” (1 Chronicles 28:9).