This continues a series of reflections on personal devotions written by individuals from many different walks of life. This reflection was written by Lynne Huizinga, a member of Georgetown PRC.
I would like to begin with an analogy I heard from a pastor: Let’s say I know I have a very, very busy week ahead so I make plans on Sunday to eat all of my meals for the whole week on Sunday because I’ll be too busy to eat during the week. How will that work?
Well – my body can’t function like that. I’ll be hungry again probably by Monday night and for sure by Tuesday morning. God created our physical bodies so that we need regular daily nutrition and this is also true of us spiritually – we need regular daily spiritual nutrition to keep us strong for the battle of life in a fallen world. Ephesians 6 especially highlights this battle. Vs 11 & 12 tell us we have a real enemy that we must wrestle against. Vs 14-17 emphasize the weapon of God’s Word and Vs 18 highlights the accompanying weapon of prayer.
Word – We live in a culture of increasing biblical illiteracy. For most of us, due to our godly heritage, we have a great foundation of biblical knowledge which is vastly greater than most people we come into contact with. Because of this we can often become lazy, because – well I already know more than the average person. I don’t need to study because I’m already way ahead of the culture around me.
Continuing to learn and grow in God’s Word takes effort and work and diligence. When I choose to be lazy, then I am consciously laying aside the weapons that God has designed to protect me against the wiles of the devil.
God’s Word from Genesis through Revelation reveals His whole redemptive plan. It all fits together. If I choose to exclusively hang out in one part – say the Psalms – neglecting the rest, then I am only seeing a small part of God’s great plan of redemption. Also, the whole of God’s Word is filled with His guiding principles for my life. Wisdom is gleaned throughout the whole – not just the book of Proverbs. Also, we are called to be Berean Christians who know the whole Word and therefore are able to discern the lie. When I allow myself to become somewhat biblically illiterate then I am more susceptible to be deceived.
A young man is called to prepare for a possible future to lead a wife and children in the Word and/or perhaps leadership in the church which includes counseling yourself and others from Scripture. You must be in the Word daily.
A young woman is called to prepare for a possible role to biblically encourage a husband and/or lead children whether your own or perhaps children in the church or school as well as counsel yourself and others from Scripture. You must be in the Word daily.
I began reading through the Bible yearly in 2007, and this process has significantly helped my spiritual growth. A tool that has greatly helped me is the One Year Bible. It is set up each day with a portion of the Old Testament and a portion of the New Testament, Psalms & a couple verses from Proverbs and a boldfaced passage – 1 or 2 verses that can be used as a key thought for the day. This tool provides some variety in your daily reading so that you can actually make it through a book like Leviticus or the minor prophets without getting stuck there and giving up. This is not meant to be just a ritual to grind through each day. And there will be some days that are more meaningful than others. The point is to stick with it. If you have a bad day or week and get behind, then give yourself some grace and get caught up on Sunday or perhaps you skip Ezekiel this year and you’ll get through it next year. Even the regular attempt to read through the whole Bible will prove profitable even if you skip parts here or there. You will be getting more than you did before you began this routine. The important thing is – don’t give up!
With any devotional routine for even the most godly person you know, there are days that the fellowship and communion one experiences with God is so sweet and there are also days that the heart feels dull and mechanical and one just pushes through devotional time to stay the course and pray for days of richer grace.
I’m not against using a good devotional as part of your daily routine, however, I would strongly urge you to make reading through the Bible the primary part of your daily routine – perhaps in the morning and then use a devotional perhaps before you go to bed.
Prayer – There is no hard and fast way to learn to pray. Prayer is learned by doing it. Prayer is born out of weakness – desperation – conscious realization of my great need but also an awareness of His great power and mercy. We must know Him as He reveals Himself through His Word. It is more than knowing about Him – we must know Him. In prayer we are talking to a friend, a Father but also the Lord of Glory.
Because we believe firmly in the Sovereignty of God, we can be tempted to drift into a kind of passivity in our prayer life. We can lose our sense of urgency and yet Jesus commands us to persevere in prayer – ask, seek, knock in Matt. 7 and the persistence of the widow with the unjust judge in Luke 18. Jacob wrestled with God pursuing His blessing. Wrestling is hard work. Do you wrestle with God in your prayers?
A tool that has helped me with my prayer life is keeping a journal where I write down, not just prayer requests but also praise, thanksgiving and confessions of sin. My mind can easily be distracted so it helps me stay focused when my petitions are written down. Also, I can look back on past journal entries and be reminded of God’s faithfulness in how He has answered past prayers from months or years ago. This can be a great source of encouragement. A good way to begin your prayer is with a response to what He has just spoken to you in the Bible passage you just read. I often use the acronym ACTS – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication for how I organize my petitions. You don’t have to be this elaborate. Perhaps just journal one thought from your Bible reading.
In the end my hope is that you will view your devotions as not just a task to do, but an opportunity to nurture the most important relationship in your life. Jer. 15:16 “Thy words were found, and I did eat them: and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart:”
By Lynne Huizinga
Young Calvinists 