By: Elizabeth Haarberg

Distracted From God

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link. 

The Bible is a wonderful book, full of Holy Spirit inspired words and stories. But the Bible is not meant to be the only tool we use to access God.

God gave us senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch to experience Him. If we are only using our eyes to read the Bible, we aren’t utilizing all the senses God gave us to experience Him.

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Psalm 34:8 English Standard Version

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Revelation 2:29 English Standard Version

Jesus came as a person on Earth with all His senses intact. He was able to experience all the pain, joy, smells, everything that we do. Jesus also only did what He saw the Father do. This was not confined to scripture, this was a relationship with the heavenly One.

“So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.”

John 5:19 English Standard Version

Jesus is the model for how we are to live. Yes, we have a wonderful guide with the Bible, but if we only have the Bible and not the Spirit and no relationship, we are missing a huge element.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” Matthew 7:21-24

The relationship is what ensures we know Jesus. Get to know Him, He wants to connect to our hearts.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado