Langdon's Devotional

There was clearly a huge gap in between posts for this, and like I said in an update, it really was just because God had been doing so much around me, including a lot in my Scripture life. Specifically, I had started a reading plan for the first time, going through the entire Bible, front to back. And while I was doing that, it made it difficult to devote time to writing these posts, too  –  not just because of time, but also because of what felt like some kind of "spiritual burnout." I was very intentional about going through that reading plan  –  highlighting passages and reflecting on each day's reading, so that once I got to the end of it, I hadn't just marked up my Bible, but I "marked up" my heart and mind to an extent, too. By the time I got through my reading for the day, it was difficult to put the same kind of energy and thought into my writing. It wasn't a sacrifice that I necessarily wanted to make, but when I tried to work on posts while I w...

Felt compelled to leave an update here, since I also want use this blog to keep record of what's going on in my life spiritually, and it's also obviously been a while since my last upload. What's ironic about the lack of posts on a devotional blog is that it isn't because I haven't seen the Lord working as much as I was - I've actually seen God working in my life and the lives of others around me more than ever! He's given me unbelievable opportunities, and He's made it clear just who they came from. I've been able to witness a lot of His work in the last 6 months or so, and it's no coincidence that I've never felt closer to Him. As I've rested deeper within Scripture and held it side-by-side with my experiences, I've seen brief glimpses of Him in others that I know well and in some that I don't, and He's drawn my attention to flaws within myself that I either didn't see before or that I didn't see the connectedness of...

I've spent some time lately reading a book called Pleasing People by Lou Priolo. He writes about how our desire to please man manifests itself in our lives, and he offers Biblical solutions for it. I think it's an important read for anyone who struggles with any kind of social anxiety, or for anyone who falsely believes they're immune to it. So everybody. This might only end up being the first post of multiple on people-pleasing, because as I've gone through the book, I've discovered more perspectives of that whole pursuit since I started this post.  Regardless, the concept of valuing man's approval more than that of the Lord's is obviously all over the place in the New Testament. There was plenty of time between the final prophet of old and John the Baptist (and Christ) for corruption to enter the Church and harden the hearts and motivations of the God's people. Being a Pharisee was more of a status symbol than anything, and God had slowly been pushed o...

I've been a cynic when it comes to New Year's for a while. I don't like when people make "resolutions" when they don't have the discipline to actually follow through with improving, and so I've started to see New Year’s almost as a lazy man's holiday over the years. Which is admittedly pretty unfair, and judgmental. Lately, however, I started viewing this time of year in a different light. Instead of using it to look forward to the New Year, on what I can be doing differently, I've started to use it as a time to reflect on what the Old Year has been, and how God's provided during it. Recently, as the Christ Covenant young adults' ministry ended services for the year, the CCYA pastor Thomas Nelson mentioned a feast that's referenced in the Gospels, called the Feast of Booths. It was a feast that God initially commanded the Israelites to celebrate in Leviticus 23, and He provided little detail in terms of how He wanted them to celebrate ...

"But the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'"  Genesis 3:4-5 (ESV)   Knowledge and capability is often evidence that God is working in and growing us – but it shouldn't be worshipped. Being obedient is always step one. The corruption of Creation showed us that ultimately, the desire to know everything is what led to mankind's downfall. The human desire to bring ourselves to God's level is something we frown on, and we resent the original man and woman for allowing to bring sin into the world God created. The fact that we think that we have the authority to condemn them is ironic, because it proves that man will always, at one point or another, place himself above others out of the pride and arrogance that he masks as righteousness. If anything, our desire to limit the capability and will of the Lord, whether by prioritizing our...

  "Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." James 3:13-18 (ESV) What does true wisdom look like? Wisdom is something common in prayers, especially when we want to do well in some kind of role.  We get it confused too often with knowledge, but I don't think that the two are exclusive. I think wisdom is more broad – you can be smart without being wise, but I don't think you can be wise without challenging you...