Daily Devotion 09/18/26

Reading: 1 John 5:19-21; Exodus 20:3-5; Matthew 22:37-38

Devotional: The final words of 1 John carry a weight that is easy to dismiss. "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." After an entire letter warning against the world, John ends with this. An idol, as Pastor Charlie explained, is anything that occupies the throne of your heart in the place of Jesus. It does not have to be carved from stone. It can be a career, a relationship, a hobby, a reputation, or a screen. Jesus declared that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. That word "all" leaves no room for anything else to reign. Examine your throne today.

Reflection: What person, pursuit, or possession, if taken away, would devastate you more than the thought of being distant from God?

Application: Take an honest inventory of your top three priorities as lived out in daily life, not simply as stated values. Ask God to reveal any idol sitting on the throne that belongs to him alone, and surrender it by name in prayer.