Saturday Devotional...1/21/12

Inoculation

Some people have just enough of the truth
that they miss the whole truth

…and sometimes they miss the real truth.

There are countless people in the world who say they believe in God, call themselves religious and even sometimes call themselves Christian, but they also feel the god of the Muslims, the Buddhists, the Sikhs, etc., are all one in the same god as the God of the Christians. These people enjoy meditation, having what they consider “spiritual” conversations, passing the time with inspirational books and songs, and expressing their opinion that all religions are just different roads leading to the same place. It’s funny how that way of thinking does not apply to other areas of life. I would never say that all roads will lead me to work or back to my own house. Anyway, these people I’m referring to are inoculated.

There’s another group of people out there who might be just as numerous as the first. They love God, believe in Jesus, and have assurance of their salvation…their eternal life after death with Christ in heaven…all because of their faith in Him. However, the people I’m referring to don’t know that He has even more for them now in this life. Many of them do their duty of church attendance often accompanied with a list of rituals, and maybe even give their regular tithe or at least an offering, but they’re not living their lives victoriously. They too have been inoculated.

An inoculation is when you have just enough of the disease that you never get the whole disease. You get part of it or you get an alternative that tricks your body into believing you have the disease making you immune to the real thing.

I know the first example above may seem worse than the second because at least those in the second group have a correct theological view of salvation. Yet, I feel this second group is in danger of falling away and merging with the first. This is because if your religious experience is just an experience of following a set of rituals, you risk becoming discontented, angry and then without motivation or hope. You’ve had just enough of the truth to never get the whole truth.

The whole truth can only come with a personal relationship with Jesus. That’s when fulfillment, satisfaction, contentment and joy surpasses all else in this life. We become more than conquerors, more than over comers, and we make a difference in this world of hopelessness.

I asked God to show me a picture of the beautiful relationship He desires for us all to have with Him. He gave me a dream. In my dream, I was with my father and husband. We were in my grandmother’s house. We were enjoying each other’s company, full of joy, telling stories and dining together. I knew exactly what it meant. My father represented God the Father, my husband represented Jesus, and my grandmother’s house was the place where I go to be in their presence. It was beautiful.

I can’t imagine not having that place to go to. I would be missing out on so much. Come to think of it, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t speaking personally to my Jesus. I guess I was absent on shot day and missed my inoculation. But for all those who have been inoculated, there’s still hope. They too can catch this amazing disease I have. When they ask me how, I’ll tell them. Spend time in the Word, in worship, and in prayer all alone with just Him. Have you been inoculated? There’s still hope. You too can catch this disease.

Amie Spruiell 1/20/2012