Temperature Check
Do you feel far away from God today? We would love to pray for you.
“So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:16)
When the heat is on in Texas, the temperatures can run over 100 degrees outside. We joke that you could fry an egg on the sidewalk. (I’ve tried. It’s slow, but it works.) During these scorching days water from the cold tap runs lukewarm. There are times when my relationship with God seems the same. Not because of Him, but because of me.
I meander in and out of His Word. I skip a day or more of one-on-one prayer time. I get caught up in the bustle of daily life and forget where my focus should be–on Him.
Without an intentional refocusing on Him several times a day, my connection becomes lukewarm. When I’m cut off in traffic, do I use the horn to vent my frustration or allow the driver the space? When someone calls the work line with a complaint, do I express empathy or respond harshly?
The church of Laodicea was warned in Revelation 3:16, “So because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Ouch. No believer wants to be in that position. Lukewarm is a useless, and dangerous, temperature when it comes to my relationship with the Almighty.
When I’m consistent in my daily walk—praying, spending time with Him and His Word, being His hands and feet in the community—I’m reminded that His plan is always right. My heart and ears are open to hear His guidance and my feet don’t slip off the path He has prepared for me.
For me, it’s important to start the day with a prayer before my feet even hit the floor. As I put on makeup, I work to memorize a verse taped to my bathroom mirror. I pause in the hustle of daily life to refocus on Him, reciting a verse or listening to praise music while driving. It’s the small things that keep me refreshed with the living water only He can give and help me avoid a heart that is lukewarm.
God, You are all that I need and I need You every day. Don’t let me neglect my time with You. Keep me close to You so I can hear You when You speak. Amen
Questions: What does your daily walk with God look like? Does it run lukewarm at times, and if so, what do you do to increase the flow of His living water?
6 Responses to “Temperature Check”
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I LOVE the wise women in this group! Thank you to each of you for your comments. Jackie, you might find a group study will help you more than an individual study time. Sometimes just having the accountability of a godly group of women gives me a kick start during lukewarm times. Praying for EACH of you today!
Gail, such a great reminder! It does take a conscious effort to stay focused on Him! Our busy days tend to fragment our thoughts and our intentions. I find that writing out my ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication) prayer and praise thoughts keep me focused during my early morning time with the Lord. It also helps as I read back over these to see just how God has worked in my life – in the past days, weeks, or months. Your practice of memorizing Scripture as you do a daily task is a helpful idea, one that I would like to try. Nothing keeps me more zeroed in on Him or draws me closer to Him than His Word.
Edited to add – fixed the link.
Jackie, I’d suggest trying The 35 Day Challenge. It’s five weeks of daily challenges leading up to sharing your faith with three friends in 35 days. It’s filled with videos, devotionals, training, and encouraging stories to help you put your faith front and centre as you reach out to others.
I know in my own life, the times when I’ve felt lukewarm have been when I’ve also taken a step back from God. A greg way to reestablish that connection is to focus on the love God has for us, and what He’s done for us. Once you get a real picture of just how very loved you are it’s hard to feel lukewarm about that.
I learned to “rekindle the spark” by truly loving my Creator, and by respecting His Sovereignty. I become more reliable to myself and to others when I’m steadfast and standing firm in my faith. You bring up such a good point though, bc of our human nature (we’re looked at as weird sometimes), and lured away by the devil’s little helpers. In that lukewarm instant (which is every day; (seek God). He’ll bring you back to Him. Then the blessings flow! Bless you Jackie ~ God is good!
This devotional has hit the nail right on the head for me today. I admit that I am going thru a lukewarm period in my walk where my mind seems to be caught up on doing nothing, or watching tv, or debating politics or just being nosy and a busybody, I admit I am bored right now with my life and seem to be in a rut with everything and I don’t know how to shake it off. The time I do make to read my Bible is either late at night when I am too tired or not at all. There seems to be no discipline in my life these days and I don’t know how to shake myself out of it – I have prayed about it, but I am not motivated (poor excuse I know) to do anything about it – What do I do to rekindle my spark and zest when the feeling is not there (I know another poor excuse – but it is the cold hard truth)
Thank you! God’s words are so true, and to the point, and never changing. I love it. Isn’t it funny, how nothing lukewarm is really ever good? If my cold water turns lukewarm, it’s time for a fresh one, or more ice, and if my hot coffee or tea turns lukewarm, it’s time to top it w/ some hot. I love applying God’s word to my day, and this scripture in Revelation is awesome. ~ I also love your daily routine… and the devotionals here too. Thanks for the reminder today!