1 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:06,730 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,790 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,580 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 1: to Daily Devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stonge, and 4 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: today's devotion is inspired by John 14, verse 23, which says, 5 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:28,710 Speaker 1: Jesus answered him, If anyone loves me, he will keep 6 00:00:28,770 --> 00:00:32,470 Speaker 1: my word, and my Father will love him. and we 7 00:00:32,550 --> 00:00:35,130 Speaker 1: will come to Him and make our home with Him. 8 00:00:37,450 --> 00:00:40,089 Speaker 1: This world is full of people who, in a casual 9 00:00:40,530 --> 00:00:44,839 Speaker 1: or cultural sense, might call themselves Christians. Yet, when their 10 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: lives are observed, there is very little difference in their 11 00:00:48,380 --> 00:00:52,419 Speaker 1: manner of living or personal beliefs that differentiates them from 12 00:00:52,460 --> 00:00:57,290 Speaker 1: the culture they live in. True Christians have an authentic 13 00:00:57,490 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: love for Jesus Christ. They trust Him, seek Him, follow 14 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:06,180 Speaker 1: him and obey him. They look for ways to put 15 00:01:06,220 --> 00:01:09,259 Speaker 1: him first in their lives instead of seeking ways to 16 00:01:09,340 --> 00:01:14,820 Speaker 1: creatively avoid his presence or influence. A true believer in 17 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:18,690 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ wants him to be close to them, not distant. 18 00:01:19,730 --> 00:01:23,370 Speaker 1: One who loves Jesus will keep his word, not reject 19 00:01:23,430 --> 00:01:26,869 Speaker 1: what he taught. Those who trust in him will rely 20 00:01:26,990 --> 00:01:29,770 Speaker 1: on his strength to enable them to make this the 21 00:01:29,850 --> 00:01:34,050 Speaker 1: pattern of their lives. Many people in this world complain 22 00:01:34,090 --> 00:01:36,730 Speaker 1: that they feel like the Lord is distant from them. 23 00:01:37,790 --> 00:01:41,059 Speaker 1: Could it be that God feels distant not because He 24 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,179 Speaker 1: seeks to be, but because we work rather hard to 25 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: keep Him in the margins of our lives? How would 26 00:01:48,300 --> 00:01:52,820 Speaker 1: our lives look differently if love for Christ and obedience 27 00:01:52,880 --> 00:02:00,750 Speaker 1: to His teaching became our priority? Let's pray. Lord, we 28 00:02:00,790 --> 00:02:03,010 Speaker 1: thank You for Your Word. And we thank you for 29 00:02:03,050 --> 00:02:04,670 Speaker 1: the privilege that it is to be able to read 30 00:02:04,710 --> 00:02:07,390 Speaker 1: this portion of scripture together from the book of John. 31 00:02:08,070 --> 00:02:10,050 Speaker 1: And Lord, we're grateful for the things that you've taught 32 00:02:10,090 --> 00:02:12,510 Speaker 1: us in this portion of your word. You teach us 33 00:02:12,530 --> 00:02:14,930 Speaker 1: to be people who love you. You teach us to 34 00:02:14,970 --> 00:02:17,910 Speaker 1: be people who keep your word. You teach us to 35 00:02:17,950 --> 00:02:21,570 Speaker 1: be people who enjoy fellowship with you. And Lord, we 36 00:02:21,610 --> 00:02:24,540 Speaker 1: know that at different seasons of our lives, it's very 37 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:27,020 Speaker 1: likely that we've tried to keep you in the margins, 38 00:02:27,100 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 1: that we've tried to keep you at a distance instead 39 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:32,100 Speaker 1: of enjoying the kind of fellowship with you that you 40 00:02:32,139 --> 00:02:35,690 Speaker 1: describe in this portion of Scripture. And Lord, sometimes that's 41 00:02:35,750 --> 00:02:38,690 Speaker 1: because we didn't want to keep your word. And sometimes 42 00:02:38,710 --> 00:02:41,730 Speaker 1: that's because we were spending time loving the things of 43 00:02:41,810 --> 00:02:46,590 Speaker 1: this world more than we loved you. We were idolizing things. 44 00:02:46,950 --> 00:02:49,350 Speaker 1: We were giving the affections of our hearts over to 45 00:02:49,530 --> 00:02:53,850 Speaker 1: unhealthy and unwise practices. We were caught up in things 46 00:02:53,889 --> 00:02:57,220 Speaker 1: that were unhealthy and not good at all. But Lord, 47 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,510 Speaker 1: we're grateful that you've intervened and you've shown us the 48 00:03:00,570 --> 00:03:03,910 Speaker 1: right path and you empower us to walk with you 49 00:03:03,990 --> 00:03:06,890 Speaker 1: in the midst of this journey. Lord, you show us 50 00:03:06,950 --> 00:03:09,690 Speaker 1: time and time again that you desire to have fellowship 51 00:03:09,750 --> 00:03:14,010 Speaker 1: with us. That's been your desire for humanity ever since 52 00:03:14,090 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: we were created. But we have this bad tendency of 53 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:21,540 Speaker 1: going in our own direction and it's persisted all throughout 54 00:03:21,620 --> 00:03:25,419 Speaker 1: human history. So Lord, when we sense that in our 55 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,619 Speaker 1: lives we're starting to love something more than we love you, 56 00:03:28,900 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: or we're choosing to ignore the counsel of your word, 57 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: or we aren't prioritizing the privilege that we have to 58 00:03:36,460 --> 00:03:40,810 Speaker 1: enjoy genuine fellowship with you. Lord, if those moments come 59 00:03:40,910 --> 00:03:44,110 Speaker 1: or when those moments come, by your grace, we pray 60 00:03:44,150 --> 00:03:46,330 Speaker 1: that you would draw us close to you and that 61 00:03:46,350 --> 00:03:49,410 Speaker 1: you'd help us to see that you love us and 62 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,940 Speaker 1: you want us near. Again, we thank you for this 63 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:56,309 Speaker 1: reminder from your word today. And we pray this all 64 00:03:56,610 --> 00:03:59,390 Speaker 1: in Jesus' name. Amen.