Awaken Thru ComaSample

Devotional 7 – Holes

Here we are. Actually, here you are.

There have been many things for you to learn, experience, ponder over the past six devotionals. The thought that comes to my mind as I write this one out is the concept of a serious, high-intensity workout.

One that is intended to not let you come to the gym and simply behave and function like you normally do in public.

But instead, you’ve brought in a trainer to help you.

To keep you motivated and to keep your technique true to form.

To keep your heart rate up and engaged.

Your goal: to see the results of a serious, intense workout.

This has been a serious workout indeed.

A shock to a body that’s been lying in a coma.

To wake it up and bring it back to life again.

(Or maybe it has just been a little encouragement for your walk along the way.)

So, what comes at the end of any intense workout?

Some water to hydrate and a few cool down exercises/stretches.

That’s our plan here.

Heavenly Father, I come to You with my focus and intention now.

In this moment I take hold of my mind and attention and I turn them to You.

Holy Spirit, help me be open to what You desire to say to me and to have ears that can hear.

Help me to have eyes to see the things that can rob me of life and teach me how to protect myself against them.

I want to understand.

I want to grow.

In our cool down session, look back over any notes that you have written down.

If you didn’t take any, reflect on things that have stood out or that you have found over the past 6 devotionals.

Take time trying to recall each one and what God may have revealed to you or highlighted to you (if anything).

Here is a little list to help jog your memory:

Devo 1 - Coma

Devo 2 - Crack the Tomb

Devo 3 - Let Go of Me

Devo 4 - Matthew’s song

Devo 5 - Humble Me

Devo 6 - Came for Me

Maybe try to write each title down and put a sentence or two or a phrase of anything else you may have taken from it.

Go for it now. Like a good post workout stretch.

If you can’t remember anything from these times but you want to, that’s OK. Make a plan to go back through them again but this time take notes as you do.

Writing things down forces us into deeper attention and retention.

I hope you have some things (or better yet a lot of things!) God has sought to bring your attention to or to teach you.

Something I found to be true of spiritual things and teachings, they are easy to forget.

Easy to focus on and then once we’ve heard it…soon to be forgotten or lost or stolen away (Matthew 13:1-9). I believe that’s what happens to students.

They are attentive in class but usually only to pass a test or make a grade but once that’s over, rarely retain the teaching after the semester’s long gone.

Remember, that is not the mindset of a disciple.

A disciple accepts (wholeheartedly) and assists in spreading the lessons learned.

Don’t be just a student, learn to be a disciple.

A disciple learns how to own truths for themselves and live by them.

Aligning their thinking to new things takes time but it is necessary.

That’s the digging that finds the treasure.

That’s the last reps in the last set when it burns and hurts and you’re tired but you know you want to see gains.

That’s true grit.

As we switch our stretch to a new one and continue our cool down, I’d like to give a caution.

The enemy and the world, some other people and even your own sinful nature do not want you to grow.

Moving forward, the enemy wants to rob you from receiving the truth of who God is.

What He says about you and the relationship/intimacy that God desires to have with you.

The world is trying to present a counterfeit existence to you where you seek for satisfaction in things of this world that have no eternal, true value. (money, position, possessions, etc.)

These things can be robbed from you if you get them.

Stolen away by a thief along with whatever comfort you wrongly found in them.

They can be destroyed by a little moth or rust or damaged by other people.

The world would have you spend your life in it and never live with true purpose.

(Matthew 6:19-21)

Other people…some may be, and others may not intentionally be, but they nonetheless can distract you from being who God made you to be: An alive, conscious, thriving, disciple who knows the truth and has been set free. (John 8:36)

Who walks in a personal relationship with God closely and intimately.

Other people, who are not free yet, can’t help you find God’s freedom for you.

They may mean well, but it doesn’t end well. (1 Cor 15:33)

Other people can distract you from finding the real you God made you to be.

Lastly…there’s you. Your old self. The you that fell into a coma.

Unconscious of the time that has passed leaving you a year later but still not growing. Not thriving.

If left to ourselves, we are naturally lazy. We naturally seek comforts but these comforts (in the world) only last but a moment and then they’re gone.

Sometimes we can be one of our own biggest challenges.

We can know something’s not right, but we go on not willing to change our thinking.

There’s so much I wish to say about ALL of this,

but we have done enough heavy lifting for now.

Let’s continue with our last stretch.

Going forward, know this: we can accidentally find ourselves falling into spiritual unconsciousness (a spiritual coma) all over again if we are not careful.

Spiritual diseases, injuries, and poisons can show up again if we are not watchful.

So how do we stay watchful?

By protecting your heart and its desires.

Any of the 4 earlier mentioned threats to your growth (enemy, world, others, you) can sneak in and cause you to look for fulfillment outside of your relationship with God.

When we do this, it’s like we are putting little holes in our hearts.

We remove what God placed in them and what’s left is a little empty space.

A little hole.

Over time, these little holes add up.

What do they do?

Eventually, leave our hearts empty and unsatisfied.

No fulfillment.

So what’s our cure?

Turn your attention back to God.

Learn and grow in His grace.

Gain knowledge of Him in His word.

Let Him speak to You.

That might sound cliché or “churchy”, but honestly,

He is the answer.

He truly is your only hope for fulfillment.

When we look at God and what He has done by sending His Son and His Spirit to us, we can begin to see a glimpse of His great love for us.

His great love for You.

No matter how many holes we may have, God‘s love is the fulfillment.

To end this intense workout session, I’d like for you to stop for a moment and just breathe.

Literally. Take a few deep breaths. If you’re seated, sit back and breathe. If you’re walking, please stop for a moment and breathe.

Although there’s much more possibly to say, so many more things we could get into, those will have to wait for another time. Another “work out”.

But please, I know you may be sore if you stuck with it.

Believe me though, the journey is worth it.

I promise.

I am proud of you!

Don’t give up.

So, to end, Chris has a beautiful song that expresses what we’ve ended on.

Making God your fulfillment.

Allowing His love to be accepted by you and letting it fill the holes in your heart.

As you leave “the gym” today and go get in your car or hit the sidewalk or a seat somewhere, turn on the song Holes and listen to it a couple times. Let the words be like that refreshing chug of cool water after a long jog.

Let the message get into your heart like an anthem and let the words come out of your mouth like a banner in the breeze.

My closing prayer before you listen and in closing:

God, Thank You for the person reading these words.

Thank You that You would look at all You have created and still wanted to create this one.

Father, I ask You to awaken their heart as You awoke Jesus from the dead.

Your power brought Him out of the tomb and gave us eternal life (John 17:3).

Holy Spirit, please reveal Your (God’s) great love to this one and find him or her fulfilled in You.

Then use this person to spread Your love to the world.

The love that You have shown us.

I know the world’s waiting.

So, let’s go.

Listen now: Holes.