“Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.”

-Psalm 119:18

There is a clear Biblical calling for being in God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17), for meditating upon His truths (Joshua 1:8), and for letting the Holy Spirit lead and instruct our hearts and minds (John 14:26).  We need God’s Word as our daily bread (Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 6:11), without which our spirits will be weakened such that we will struggle to obey and bear abundant fruit for the kingdom.  We need a regular intake of truth, for as Jesus said, “Sanctify them in the word; your word is truth” (John 17:17). 

The purpose of this collection of devotions is not so that we can say that we put our time in 100 different times so as to appease God in some fashion or to satisfy our sense of duty.  The point of studying God’s Word is for spiritual growth so that we learn more about God, grow deeper in our walk with God, and learn to love Him more fully than we had before.  Life is about knowing, loving, adoring, worshipping, and enjoying God.  He alone can satisfy us.  As Psalm 16:11 says, “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”  There is a way that seems right to a man, but it ends in death (Proverbs 14:12).  And there is a narrow path, much less traveled, that is the way of life (Matthew 7:14).  This path leads to an enjoyment of the constant presence of God in our hearts and lives, and for eternity, it grants us every spiritual blessing in and through Christ (Ephesians 1:3).  Satisfaction is what we all seek, and it will never be found in money, fame, or any other earthly thing or pursuit.  Ultimately, only God can satisfy, and devotions are meant to remind us of this truth and to help us to better enjoy this reality.  Life to the full is about knowing and loving God, and devotions must help us do that.  They must teach us through the Scripture rather than just give us some feel good story to make us feel warm and fuzzy for the day.  They must really help us learn God’s will and ways for our lives so that that we can know Him, love Him, and enjoy Him more deeply, purely, and fully. 

It is so easy to grow complacent and to not keep moving forward in our Christian lives.  Satan has all kinds of things that he can utilize to weaken us, to distract us, to deceive us, and to keep us from being what God wants us to be.  Hosea 6:3 says, “Let us press on to know the LORD.”  This is how we find refreshment, by pressing on in faith in studying God’s Word and in humbly letting the Spirit of God in our hearts teach us, instruct us, convict us, shape us, and lead us.  Refreshment comes by repenting of where we have gone wrong and turning to God.  Acts 3:19 says, “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”  Sin is our problem, and God’s truth is our hope.  Refreshment can only be found through the proper application of truth by faith through the Spirit.

James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”  Many people want God to be near, but they fail to see that it is their job to make the first move.  God says to draw near and then He will draw near in return.  My prayer is that many will draw near to God by reading these devotions and choosing to heed the exhortations and commands of Scripture contained therein.  I pray that you will be nearer to God by the end of this book than you were at the beginning.  Are you willing to draw near, starting now?  If so, keep reading.

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