Devotions by Rachel

Devotional #2 – I never knew you God does not measure your life by how much you do for Him, but rather by your heart for Him. It’s been a transition for me to go from being active for Christ, to being stuck, sick in bed. I grew up a missionary kid, I did worship dance and led Bible studies in my teens and twenties. I volunteered at children’s ministry, and youth groups. I loved it and I wanted my whole life to be about Christ and spreading his light to others. Little did I know, that getting in a car accident and being stuck in bed could glorify him by just loving Him through my illness. I once heard a story about a man who became rich. In his love for his wife, he wanted to build her, her dream house. So he started building it and spent less and less time with her because he was so consumed with the house. Soon he took pride in the house. He wanted others to see what he had done. The architecture, the lavishness of it, and the beautiful piece of land it was on.  Eventually his marriage was on the rocks because he was more obsessed with what he was building for his wife, than having a relationship with her. We can do the same thing with our good works. We are building a house for the Lord out of our love for Him. But as time goes by we may become more proud of our good works, more consumed with growing our platform than we are with spending time with Jesus. Jesus said, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” Matthew 7:22-23 There are many prominent ministers with huge platforms. I cannot tell you which ones the Lord will say “Depart from me for I never knew you” to. I do not know their heart and their relationship with God. God does. I only know my heart and relationship with the Lord. So I want to focus on loving him with all of my heart, soul, and body. I may often be sick, in pain, and unable to do much. But if I do nothing, if I just make it through the day, I want every piece of me to cry out to the Lord “Holy is the Lord God Almighty. Worthy is your name.” Let me do it in my secret quiet place, and not for the eyes of others. Luke 10:27 “…Love the Lord God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind.” 1 Samuel 16:7 “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart.”