Silly Jane
Devotion: n. “Love given with the whole heart and will; ardent addiction / devotion to football/ devoutness to prayers and worship.” Webster’s Dictionary, 1989 edition.
Ugh, I thought. I have to get up and “do my devotions”. It was about 2:00 am, the time I usually have my quiet time with the Lord. (Please don’t think I am some super spiritual person, I have insomnia and I am almost always up at 2:00 am.) Usually, if I am tired, I try to go back to sleep but this night I had the special mission of praying for Bonnie Lewis on her trip to Asia so I got up.
I have been reading through Acts, and Peter and Paul are great examples of those who served the Lord with great Devotion. At night in prison, by day in chains, traveling, running, hiding, and seeking the Lords will in all circumstances they remained devoted to the Lord.
Why is it so hard for us today to set aside time for devotions? Later that day I saw something that looked like devotion, love given with the whole heart. Our puppy was sitting on Richard’s lap as she loves to do. She doesn’t bring any abilities, gifts or requests. She just comes because
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The empty tomb: Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw the stone had been removed from the entrance. John 20: 1 ~ “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” John 20:15 |
she loves him and wants to be with him. Maybe our “devotions” should look more like this. We, like Silly Jane, just want to be with our wonderful Lord and Savior. We aren’t able to bring anything He needs to the encounter. We just come because we love him and want to be with him. He loves us because we are HIS. He wants us to learn and grow and become better servants but most of all he wants to know us, and He wants us to know Him.
Mary Magdalene was devoted to Jesus. She went to be with his dead body. She wanted to be with him and serve him in any circumstance.
The disciples did not seem to hold her in especially high esteem. Matthew 16: 11; says, “When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.”
Because her devotion had driven Mary to “show up” to be with Jesus’ dead body, she was rewarded as the first to see him alive for evermore. Let’s show up, be with the Lord, and see what Jesus has to say.
Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for showing up for us. Help us to show up for you.
Love,
Diane