June 26, 2022
Daily Devotion:
"The Lord of a Lifetime… "
Leviticus 6:13
New International Version
13 The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.
On again, off again. Fits and starts. Look at some people's faith life, and it is the story of the hare, not the tortoise. And why is it so difficult to stick to a diet or maintain a regimen of exercise? What happens to our resolve? Why do our commitments seem so hard to keep? At the first of the year, we do our daily Bible readings with disciplined consistency, then there's that unexpected interruption that makes us miss a day, followed by another day when still other events overtake us. Before we know it, we've gotten out of the routine, and the Bible lies unopened for weeks. No wonder God instructs the priests and Levites to keep a fire burning continuously on the altar. Anyone who has ever built a fire knows it is a lot easier to add fuel periodically and stir the embers than to let the fire go out and have to start all over again.
Of course it's not about the fire itself. What God wants is daily, continuous, uninterrupted devotion-certainly for his own glory, but also because he knows how much we ourselves are shaped and nourished by daily acts of worship. To be constantly into the Word is to be continuously reminded of right priorities and values. To make little sacrifices each day is to prepare us for times when we may be called upon to offer extraordinary sacrifices. To regularly exercise our spiritual gifts is to strengthen ourselves to serve even more. To pray day by day is to be secure night after night. Above all, to make God the Lord of each day is the only way to make sure he is Lord of a lifetime.
The question for some of us is: If I've let myself get out of the daily habit of being in touch with God, might this be the very day my faith gets back on track?
