DEVOTEDNESS
[p. 359] DEVOTEDNESS
Devotedness is the expression of the fact that the Lord has His right place in our affections. There is very much involved in this, for there may be activity in service, and liberality in the use of one’s means, without any true devotedness. But when the Lord is before our hearts we think first of His mind and pleasure, and it becomes our great concern to know what is in His heart for us so that we may enter into it, and thus be in suitability to Himself and His thoughts.
It was a suitable thing that the Israelite who was brought into the land and enriched with its fulness should honour the Lord with his substance and with the first-fruits of all his increase. He was in possession of that which God’s purpose and grace had bestowed upon him and the Lord was well pleased to receive the first-fruits, which bore witness that he was in possession and enjoyment of the good land, and that he appreciated the grace which had brought him into it.
It may be good for our hearts to consider where we are as to this elementary feature of true devotedness. Are we in Egypt, trying to do good there by helping all kinds of schemes for the betterment of man’s condition in this world? Or are we in a little oasis of our own, carrying on worship and service after our own ideas? Or have we made it our great concern to apprehend the present thought and purpose of God for us? Are we really seeking to enter into and take possession of what He has given, so that we may bring the first-fruits of it to Him? God takes pleasure in our enjoyment and appreciation of that which it has been His great delight [p. 360] to give us. It is in proportion as we apprehend the purpose of God, and take possession of the things which He has freely given to us, that we can, in a spiritual sense, honour the Lord with our substance.