“O For a Faith That Will Not Shrink,” with undivided attention. Message Magazine’s Online Devotional for Monday, October 22, 2018.
Listen to “Thoughts in Worship 10.22.2018” on Spreaker.
“And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; And while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).
A Moment of Your Time?
One of the biggest signs of disrespect and disregard for others is not paying them any attention. Let me narrow it a bit. For example, you are stepping up to a counter to order food because your stomach sounds like a lion cub is trapped inside. As you begin your order, the cashier does not acknowledge you, repeat your order, or tell you how long it will take for your meal to be ready. You pay in spite of the disregard for your presence; when the order comes out, it is wrong, and with no apology.
Try this one on for size: you are excited to tell your big brother about something that happened earlier in the day, and you want his advice. While you are talking, he never even looks at you. He is more concerned about getting in that last IG post, retweeting his favorite artist’s post, or scrolling through his Facebook timeline than giving you eye contact. How do you feel?
My Time with You
It is unfortunate that a few moments of direct eye contact and attentive listening is out of the question these days. Could it be that this inattentiveness leaks into our spiritual lives? Could it be that we are losing spiritual battles everyday because we cannot pull ourselves away from whatever is “so important,” that we miss our time with God?
Our God is different, thankfully. Even in less than ideal situations, He is always attentive. Even when we have made mistakes, or He is busy running the universe, He makes time to answer our prayers. He is so attentive to our needs that He prepares to deliver them before He inspires us to ask Him. He gives some blessings before we ask. He’s just good like that. How can we resist the love of such a God? Is He worthy of our time? Is He worthy of our attention? Is He worthy of us pulling away from the lights, notifications, bells, whistles, and distractions for alone time with Him? Is He worth it?
Fullest Experience
If we are to develop a shrink-resistant faith that will not fail when tested, we must learn to give God our undivided attention during devotional times, so we can experience Him to the fullest and be charged up when difficulties come.
