Devotion
Detach yourself
David Jacobs
I watched a great movie called Force Majeure the other night. It is a Swedish movie about a family that goes on a ski vacation. The trip is going well until they are eating lunch one day. The ski resort uses explosives to create small, controlled avalanches so that there are no big avalanches, and when they are eating one day, one of the avalanches comes a little too close to the restaurant and seems like it will crush them. In that moment of panic, the mother in the family grabs her children and the father...grabs his iPhone.
In this era of capitalism, consumption and materialism rule supreme. We are taught to constantly want in a manner that is unhealthy not only in preserving our resources on Earth, but also in matter of the soul! This passage says to "Love not the world". It is not a suggestion to not appreciate God's creation. It is a commandment to not get attached to the superficial and fleeting love of worldly delights. With the amount of options available in our times, we can see how society has changed. We can all witness this becoming a larger problem not just for society but also as individuals. As Jesus remarked, we may see that Love of the Lord is the only true route to salvation. Regardless of what a man owns or collects, what he truly owns are the things that he can sacrifice.
Prayer
Blessed Father, I have been weak more times than I could mention. I pray today that you will strengthen the bond between us and help me distance myself from earthly temptations. I ask that you will light my path so that I can see that it is your love, and only your love, that is worth clinging to. Free me from this vicious cycle of consumption, the allure of greed, the temptation of lust and gluttony, and help me manage my pride to give all of what I have, all of what I am, to you. I pray all of this in your name. Amen.
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
