Daily Devotional for May 31, 2011

Psalm 90:14
When morning comes, let your love satisfy all our needs. Then we can celebrate and be glad for what time we have left.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

If you are like me – and most people – you probably are in the habit of using three products to do a task, when one would have been sufficient. I used to have a whole basket of cleaning products – scrub for the shower tile, disinfectant for surfaces, window cleaner for the windows and mirrors, furniture polish for the wood, and many more products that commercials and advertisements told me we simply could not stay clean unless we purchased them!

But then I stumbled onto a recipe at my grandmother’s for a cleaning solution she called “Glass Plus.” I’m not talking about the commercial brand by the same name… this was a concoction of 2 tablespoons ammonia, 1 teaspoon of dish detergent, and 2 cups of rubbing alcohol. You put all of this in a clean plastic gallon milk jug, and fill it with water. Not only does this solution clean mirrors and windows beautifully… it also disinfects surfaces at the same time.

When I fill a spray bottle with this solution, I don’t need a bottle of disinfectant AND a bottle of window cleaner. I can use this solution on all sorts of spills… in virtually every room of the house, and even on outside surfaces… and it’s far cheaper than those store brands! One spray bottle of this concoction satisfies virtually all of my household cleaning needs!

Do you see the correlation with our Spiritual life? We run around trying to get all of these “aids” that we think we need to make us more Spiritual, when God has already given us all that we need. We have Jesus… we have the Bible… we can go to God in prayer any time of the night or day. The Holy Spirit is always with us, ready to give us wisdom, courage, and comfort. God has given us an “all-in-One” product!

Most of us will still try other products from time to time. We’ll be lured in by the commercials and ads, and we will wonder… is this “glass plus” cleaner really enough to get the job done? And honestly, a lot of us will get caught up in external things Spiritually, too. We’ll become fascinated with a particular set of Bible study aids or a certain speaker. We’ll listen non-stop to the music of a favorite Christian musical artist or group… or we’ll decide that hymns are old school, and we need Contemporary Christian music to really “feel the Holy Spirit” in our lives. We’ll become so absorbed in this or that ministry in our church or community and fail to recognize that God is at work all around us – in people and ministries of all sizes, shapes and colors.

The bottom line is that we need to remind ourselves that God truly is an “All-in-One” solution Who satisfies every single one of our needs. If we wake each morning and give our day – and our needs to Him, think of how much extra time and energy we will have… and how much better things will go. Are you still trying extra products and gadgets? Or have you settled in for the long haul with God and let Him handle things for you? Isn’t it time you simplified your life and put Him in charge? Are you ready to let go… and let God?

©2011 Debbie Robus

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