Devotionals for the Heart: Why change requires us to be devoted

Change Requires Devotion
A devotional by Sharon Musgrove

“The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers.”—Acts 2:42 (CEB)

“What are you reading these days?” A good friend asked me during a recent phone call.

I looked at the pile of books on my coffee table, feeling ashamed that I had started so many personal development texts and was struggling to complete even one.

“I’m reading five books right now,” I replied honestly, choosing to be real to both me and my sister-in-Christ, “but I am having difficulty finishing them.”

I explained how impressed I was with the content of the books, but when it came to applying the suggested behavioral changes, I fell short. Trying to make big modifications on my own, and keeping consistent, seemed impossible.

As we talked, I remembered reading a Bible passage where thousands of people turned their lives around, changing their customary behaviors. The Apostle Luke recorded this event, known as the birth of the Church, in the New Testament book of Acts.

Acts 2 tells the story of the Apostle Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, preaching the truth of Jesus Christ to the people in Jerusalem. A few weeks prior, the same crowd had the Messiah crucified on the cross. Now, hearing the accurate account, they were feeling deep conviction of having done God wrong, and sought change.

“When the crowd heard this, they were deeply troubled. They said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’” –Acts 2:37 (CEB)

Peter immediately gave them instruction. According to Acts 2:38 (CEB), he replied, “Change your hearts and lives. Each of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 2:41 tells us that about three thousand people accepted Peter’s message that day and were baptized! And they didn’t stop their transformation there. Our feature scripture reveals the action steps these early Christians took to radically change their lives. According to Acts 2:42 (CEB), “The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers.”

They devoted themselves. The turn about from bad behavior to good habits requires a level of commitment that is all in.We see that the believers were all in with submission to the Apostles’ teachings, meeting daily in the Temple (Acts 2:46). They were all in being accountable to the community, sharing everything they owned, food and belongings, with one another (Acts 2:42 and Acts 2:44). And they were all in praying to God (Acts 2:42).

What did not happen was an attempt to go it alone. The early Church did not practice once a week and then retreat home to the same-same routine. Changing their lives required daily work and accountability to others. The result of this devotion to change was a community that came together for good rather than for bad. And God blessed them with growth—personal growth and church growth.

Are there changes in your life that you know need to happen, yet you struggle to implement them? Has a daily discipline of reading your Bible or praising God been difficult to maintain?

Let’s let the early believers teach us how to proceed from deep conviction to blessed by God by following their example of devotion: Devotion to God. Devotion to others. And devotion to practicing daily disciplines of Bible learning, generosity with one another, and prayer.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, we love You and want to please You. But we struggle to change from old habits. Fill us Your Holy Spirit to help us with Your desire for our lives. Thank You for the example we find in the Acts 2 church. Help us to be all in for Your Kingdom and Your people. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Change Me Now” by Babbie Mason. Listen here.

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Author Bio:

Sharon Musgrove has a diverse background in business, fitness, and health industries. This background led her to a unique position writing curriculum and teaching for two private, Christ-based, residential recovery programs. Both programs primarily served women in the homeless community. 

Sharon has traveled multiple times to Kenya, serving on medical teams and teaching in the rural Maasai communities. She was privileged to participate in Leadership camps for maturing young women. These annual camps have a mission of encouraging and empowering the impoverished, underprivileged, and often abused young Maasai girls.

Identifying personally with the brokenness of the women she’s served, Sharon sees the great need for encouragement and connection. Within ministries served, Sharon has witnessed the transformative power of loving words spoken to the broken-hearted. Sharing God’s love and building cross-cultural communities has become her passion.

In her leisure time, Sharon enjoys nature, deep conversations, and a good story. She and her husband, Jeff, divide their time between Oregon and Hawaii. They have two grown children.

Currently, Sharon is encouraging others via her inspirational blog, writing devotionals for other websites, and is working on a nonfiction book titled The Whole-Of-Us: Putting Church Back Together.

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Connect with Sharon:
Email: sharon@sharonmusgrove.com
Website: Sharonmusgrove.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Sharon-Musgrove-Untethered-102208978041060
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonkmusgrove/

Devotionals for the Heart: Lessons on seeking God learned from a cat!

What My Cat Has Taught Me About Seeking God
A devotional by Amanda Wen

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” 

~Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)

We all know cats have a reputation for being aloof and independent. “Dogs have owners, cats have staff,” as the saying goes. For some cats, this reputation is doubtless deserved. However, “aloof” and “independent” are the last two words that come to mind when describing the Siamese we adopted last August.

Simply put, Jasmine wants to be with me. All the time. She follows me around the house (sometimes even into the bathroom). Her favorite place is my lap but if that is not available, she’s content to be in the same room with me. The day we brought her home, I purchased two carefully-selected cat beds, but—as those of you who know cats have doubtless already predicted—Jasmine pooh-poohed both of them. Her bed of choice? Mine, of course. She sleeps curled up at my feet each night, and within seconds of my eyes opening in the morning, she eagerly greets me with wild purring as she settles down on my chest.

 My lovely Siamese cat, Jasmine.

God has used Jasmine’s quiet devotion to convict me. As a certified type-A overachiever, I frequently think of spending time with God as just another item on my to-do list. Something I do long enough to not feel guilty about it. Something I sometimes rush through so I can check the box and move on to the next thing.

But that’s not what God wants. He wants our hearts. Our devotion. He wants us to follow Him. To seek Him all day long, not just for a few bleary-eyed, coffee-scented minutes in the morning. God wants us to be with Him, to look for His guidance, provision, and activity as we go about our daily tasks. He wants us to let go, stop striving all the time and to be secure in the knowledge that He is God.

The story of Mary and Martha is always convicting to me because I am so Martha. Rushing around, trying to get everything done, crossing items off my to-do list and growing impatient at anyone or anything who’s impeding my progress. But Jesus praised Mary’s choice to sit at His feet and listen to His teaching rather than helping her sister get dinner on the table. “Mary has chosen what is better,” He said, “and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42, NIV)

This story has always confused me because as a mother of three young kids, sometimes stuff has to get done and I don’t think God is calling us to abdicate all our responsibilities to in favor of reading the Bible all day. But what I do think He’s saying is to recognize that our spiritual lives are more important than our to-do list and that we need to constantly seek Him. We need to be aware of how He’s moving in our lives and the lives of others.

And sometimes, just like my cat, we need to curl up next to God and contentedly bask in the peace of His wonderful presence.

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Author Bio:

Amanda Wen is an award-winning writer of contemporary inspirational romance and split-time women’s fiction. 

A first place winner in the 2017 Indiana Golden Opportunity Contest, she also placed first in the 2017 Phoenix Rattler Contest, the 2017 Great Expectations Contest, and the 2016 ACFW First Impressions Contest, among others. In addition, she was a finalist in the 2018 ACFW Genesis Contest.

Amanda is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and regularly contributes author interviews for their Fiction Finder feature. She’s also been spotted onstage with the worship team at recent ACFW conferences. Amanda is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

In addition to her writing, Amanda maintains an active and rewarding career as a freelance cellist, frequently performing with symphony orchestras, string quartets, and her church’s worship team. She lives in the Midwest with her amazing husband and their three adorable and hilarious Wenlets.

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Connect with Amanda:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authoramandawen
Twitter: www.twitter.com/authoramandawen
Instagram: www.instagram.com/authoramandawen
Website: www.amandawen.com