by John Grant
“And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul“.
Deuteronomy 11:13
Do you remember back in the old black and white days, those westerns that were on the screen and invariably, a group would end up in a poker game? It always seemed like one guy would keep adding to his pile of money to the point where you would think it logical for him to take his winnings and get out of the game. Then all of a sudden, after being dealt his hand, he would slowly push his entire stack of money or chips to the center of the table while quietly and unemotionally saying, “I’m all in.”
That’s a poker term for saying that you are wagering your entire stake. All you have you are betting on this one hand. If you lost, you lost it all. But, if you were right you came away all the more richer.
Right now, one of our local professional sports teams is in the playoffs and saying they are “all in.” That means a total commitment of everything they have. They are putting it all on the line.
God is like that with us, requiring a total commitment. He wants us all in. God is a jealous God, he does not what your affections split between Him and anyone else. He wants you to LOVE him and SERVE him will ALL you have.
Let’s look at our lives today and see what we are serving. Are we serving ourselves, our own desires and wants or are we truly letting Him be LORD of ALL? When you are truly doing it his way then He delivers you from the hands of the wicked. Those things in your life that are trying to kill, steal and destroy you.
Jesus said pray-and never stop. “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) He wants us to worship him with everything we’ve got. I need to stop letting my fear of what others think about me control me. I’ve given other people control over me for way too long. I mean, that’s not going to change today and I’ll be free the rest of my life, but I can start today, and hopefully choose to not be afraid once a day, or even once a week, to start with.
Faith is the essence of the Christian walk and so is total commitment. We are to serve Jesus, reflect Him in our daily walk and to love God with all our heart and soul and strength and mind.
(a thought on life from John Grant )
You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/2011/06/02/jg_all-in/
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney