I'm Not Religious

"I'm not religious, I just love the Lord. (Scott Wesley Brown)

That line from Scott Wesley Brown's song captures what I want to say in today's devotion. As we live our lives out for the Lord, we find ourselves conflicted with a faith that is based on the grace of God and a religion based on works. The latter is so subtle yet so ingrained in us that sometimes the very acts of grace are viewed through religious, works based eyes.

This year the Lord called me into a 21 day fast so I obeyed. Usually when I am asked to fast for this or that I cringe at the thought or just go through it because "it is required". There were very few times that I felt good afterwards. However when God called me into this fast there was a sense of purpose. I felt that I was truly drawing close to Him. Everything from my prayer life, to my Bible study down to my pleasures such as listening to jazz took on a new life. What was even more significant was the overwhelming joy I felt constantly. When we do something as solemn as a fast, we can have the tendancy to switch to a religious mode and do soul searching for things that may not even be there. Perhaps the heart of a fast is to return us to the very one who is our nourishment. Perhaps its a surrender to reclaim the joy lost in religion. Please bear in mind that this does not diminish the pattern given to us by the Lord in Isaiah 58, especially verses 5-6. However we find that true joy comes from yielding ourselves to God. Humbling ourselves before Him and chastizing ourselves by subdueing our passions brings us true God given joy because we are fasting not only our passions but our earthly intellect that tells us that pleasure and joy are found in indulgence.

"Open my eyes Lord to see the beauty that comes comes in seeking You with all my heart"
Psalms 34: 9-10