More than Duty

Today's Reading: Psalm 122; 1 Corinthians 9; & 1 Corinthians 10.

Scripture:

"I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD.'" Psalm 122:1

Observation:

There is more to being with God than just duty. There was something in David's relationship with God that moved past the basics of something he had to do or needed to do. God was alive and at work in David's life to such a degree that it brought him great pleasure.

Application:

There are three things that rob me of truly experiencing the type of joy I see in the life of David: guilt, self-preservation, and doubt.

If I am not careful it is really easy to get bogged down in guilt. Christianity in the wrong hands can become a set of unreachable expectations enforced by a bully of a god with a big stick. That is so far from the truth. Jesus Christ set me free from the burden of guilt and condemnation. I am a free man and I should live as a free man.

Self-preservation is a big issue for me. So much of my life has been wasted in futile efforts to care for me. I have looked up and found myself in some really dark and lonely places because of this problem. Jesus was right when He instructed me that I will lose my life when I try to save it.

Doubt is the mother of all distractions. A basic definition of doubt is a feeling of uncertainty about the truth. This crack in my armor is fatal. When I am uncertain I am susceptible to many things. Christ said it best when he compared a man with doubt to a ship without a rudder.

Prayer:

Father I ask that I might prosper in the tasks that You have given to me today. Set my heart on the prize You have for me and make it come to life inside of me in a manner that is more tangible, more real, and more beautiful than any hope I can find in the world.

I give to You today my guilt, my self-care, and my doubts. I pray that their power to control my life be broken and ask that You fill me to full measure with the freedom, provision, and truth You have stored up for me. My desire today is that my life be in submission to Your will.