Devoted

So, I realize that I have not done anything that I suggested in my last post.


Not because I don't want to have another challenge (but it's just so...challenging! Derp), or start an art blog. 


Actually, at the moment, the art blog idea isn't as important.


But praising God everyday, giving Him the glory, recognizing the need for worshipping Him, is.
Whether I feel like it or not.
Whether I can actually think of anything to praise Him for or not.
Whether it's through words or acts.


I think something happened between now and September 27th (I know, that you know, that I know, that you know - but that's not the point I'm making here).


I think I got comfortable.


Too comfortable.


I slowly slipped onto the edge of the fence, and haven't realized, until now, that I'm still sitting there.


I know my devotional life with Yeshua has been compromised.  It's something that has been on my mind and heart for a while now.  But I haven't done anything about it up to this point.


I know the dangers of a lukewarm soul, and have felt its safe arms keep me from embarking on a deeper, more intimate level with my Lord.  And I don't want to be in that place again.


So, how have I realized all of this?


First, God is amazing with how He does stuff.


That's right: stuff.


I was getting caught up on some over-due Bible study reading, finally getting to the last chapter in Leviticus.  It's all about redeeming what belongs to the Lord, or how to dedicate something or someone to Him.  Pretty straight-foreword stuff, I guess, though I was kinda confused while reading it.  But the whole emphasis on devotion to the Lord made me think about how lightly I take my devotion to Him, how easy it is to take it so lightly.


Then one of my Bible side-note doodgimuhickies pointed out verse 28:


"But nothing that a man owns and devotes to the LORD - whether man or animal or family land - may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the LORD."


Oh yes, I take it so lightly.


I am redeemed from sin and death by the death and resurrection of Yeshua Messiah. I have been cleansed from my sin by His blood. I have been made new in Him.


And in accepting Him as my Lord and Savior, I have a choice:


I can willingly offer my entire self to Him as a living sacrifice, or just...not.


One thing I do know, there is no middle-ground, no compromising. I am either fully devoted, or fully against.


Even the Israelites could not compromise what they dedicated to the Lord. They could not decide that they didn't like what they dedicated to Him, good or bad, and trade it in for something else. Whatever they substituted, both the dedication and the substitute become holy to the Lord, and are irredeemable (Lev. 27:33).


I can't decide that I only want to give a portion of my being to Him, or decide that I want to give Him something else in exchange, for whatever reason. He wants all of me, my complete devotion.

So now that it's finally clicked in my head, my prayer is this:

For a heart on fire for the Lord, fully devoted to Him and His purpose for my life. 

My challenge now:

To live it out, take it seriously.

Hope this all made sense.