Recovery Devotional 344 Passion's High Contrast

JMD Devotional 344 Proverbs 8:13 Passion’s High Contrast

The reverent fear and worshipful awe of the Lord [includes] the hatred of evil; pride, arrogance, the evil way, and perverted and twisted speech I hate.

In John Bunyan’s classic Book, Pilgrim’s Promise, the chief character, “Christian”, meets a man named “Talkative” on the path. “Talkative” loves to discourse on spiritual themes and Biblical topics; but those loves are equal to his love of bar room banter and of hearing himself speak on virtually any mundane subject. He has an answer for everything; his chief pleasure is to have an audience of eager listeners. He is the center of attention when people listen to him. “Christian” wisely discerned that “Talkative” is, “Long on talk, short on walk.” If there is no distinguishing your love of God for your love of other things, to include the love of one’s self; then that kind of love is rather weak. The kind of love that Jesus Christ demands for God is so profound and enormous that one’s natural love of one’s parents would seem like hatred by contrast

Luke 14:25-27 (AMP) Now huge crowds were going along with [Jesus], and He turned and said to them, if anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters--[yes] and even his own life also--he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not persevere and carry his own cross and come after (follow) Me cannot be My disciple.

Dear God,

My love for You demands that I reject other suitors. Abide in me, and unify my heart so that my devotion to You is singular and undivided. May I give good cause to make the world, the flesh and the Devil jealous of my devotion to You. I know that such a commitment will bring trials, tribulation and persecution: may I endure those as badges of courage and as proof of my passion. I confess that my heart is prone to wander: only by Your holy influence can I be faithful: please exert that influence in my life. Because You first loved me, I love You. May my life clearly show it.

Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by

the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)

Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

*New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

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