Tag: all in

All In, With All You Have

On By vickleaIn ScriptureLeave a comment

Fully Committed (Daily Refresh, 12-29-25)

“And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by His decrees and obey His commands, as at this time.”
1 Kings 8:61

These words are part of King Solomon’s prayer of dedication at the completion of the temple in Jerusalem. It was a moment of celebration and fulfillment, a physical reminder that God was dwelling among His people. But Solomon didn’t want a beautiful building. He wanted a faithful people.

Not halfway committed. Not when commitment is convenient. Not when you feel like committing.

Fully committed.

It’s easy to drift into partial commitment: reading your Bible when life slows down and you can find the time, praying only when things go wrong, showing up to church when your family has a free weekend. But Solomon’s prayer still calls to us today, and it’s clear: be all-in with your faith.

So what could full commitment look like in your everyday life? Here are four things you and your family can do to build a life that’s fully committed to the Lord:

– Read your Bible daily. Not out of guilt, but out of hunger. Let God’s Word shape your thoughts and decisions.
– Pray continually. As 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, keep an ongoing conversation with God through every moment, big and small.
– Be rooted in your church. Attend regularly. Serve consistently. Don’t just go … belong!
– Live in obedience. When God speaks, follow. His commands aren’t burdens; they’re the path to real freedom.

Full commitment isn’t perfection, it’s direction. It means you’ve set your heart fully toward God and you’re pursuing Him with all you have.

My Thoughts

When I read this devotional today, my first and very self-righteous thought was that I am already fully committed. But then, I read it again more carefully and see some areas that I need to work on.

First, I do read God’s Word daily, but sometimes I think it is because it is a habit, a something I need to do before I do other things. I need to work on my attitude so that it is more of a hungering for His Word and not the first thing on my to-do list.

Second, I am rooted in our church but I don’t always feel as though I belong. We had a fundraising campaign last year called “all in” and I did not participate. The main reason is that they do a new campaign every year at our church, just giving it a different name, so that they can expand, build, etc. I’m not opposed to that, but it was getting tiresome to me and more of a competition to give rather than giving from the heart. I need to check that out in me and ask God what He wants me to do when their new campaign starts at the beginning of the new year. I think I am still holding on to a little resentment that I cannot fully participate in the services because of how loud the music is. I am wearing noise cancelling headphones every week now.

I am working on listening to and following God. That is now always easy for me because I am a natural organizer. If God let me loose, I would probably try to organize things in His kingdom in a way that would be easier for me to understand, but He reins me in and reminds me that I am a follower, not the chief leading the parade.

So this is honestly me. I am all in, with all that I have and anticipating God’s working in my life in new ways for the new year. How about you? Are you fully committed?

Enthusiastic and Boiling Over

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App3 Comments

www.bible.com/reading-plans/11667/day/9

You know when a pot is boiling over, it affects the area around it. The stove eye and the surface of the stove get wet, sometimes with the sticky stuff in the pot. It is evident that the pot has boiled over because you can see it. If we are “boiling over” for the Lord, it should be plain for others to see.

The other truth I got from this devotional this morning is the meaning of enthusiasm. In Greek, it comes from en (in) and Theos (God). We can be enthusiastic about God all the time if we remain “in God.” When I am visiting my children, I am all about spending time with the family there, playing with the grandchildren, talking to the adults, sharing laughter and fun. When I am with God, which should be all the time, I need to be “all in,” dedicated to spending time with Him and enjoying my time with the Lord in fellowship. God is only a prayer away, a whisper, a look up and a deep breath in. I pray for more enthusiasm in my life for the things of God and less concern about what is going on around me. I hope you will join me in that quest.

What Are You Planting Today?

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App7 Comments

Every morning when I get up, I thank God for awakening me and for a new day. Then, I get busy getting ready for my day…shower, brush teeth, take morning meds, etc. Finally, I end up in my recliner in the den with my iPad on my lap and start reading and studying my Bible and devotionals. I want to make a commitment to add something to that routine. I already pray, but I have found that many or my prayers are surface ones…just barely touching the surface of the needs of myself, my family and others. I want to spend time waiting on God to show me what He wants me to pray about for a person or for other people. Right now, there is a young man named Mitch who is in his 30’s, has two young children and a beloved wife who is six months pregnant. On Monday night, he was taken to the hospital by ambulance with a high fever and his kidneys failing for an unknown reason. The doctors did exploratory surgery and discovered a toxic ulcer leaking in his abdomen, but he is too weak for them to repair it. Meanwhile, his heart started to fail. He is on a ventilator and the doctors say he needs a miracle. So, I would like you to plant seeds for Mitch and his family today, coming before God’s throne and asking for that miracle that he needs. God knows exactly the touch that his body needs in order for it to begin to repair itself and heal.

When we plant seeds, we frequently think of what will come from the harvest. And most seeds we plant are for ourselves. Let’s reach out to others like Mitch. He is a stranger to me, but I was contacted by a family member asking for prayer. So, I will sow seeds for Mitch and others whom God brings to my mind who need a touch from Him, of healing, comfort, grace and love. We may never see the harvest, but we can plant the seeds. Giving doesn’t have to be finances; it can be time and energy and effort. God wants all of us dedicated to serving Him, not just our wallets.

Plant Generously

In his second letter to the believers in Corinth, Greece, the apostle Paul expressed His gratefulness for their commitment to generosity before challenging them with this statement:

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Paul knew that God had established some common-sense principles when it came to generosity. All throughout Scripture, we see both natural and spiritual implications of this cycle.

Natural: If you plant a few seeds in the ground, you will reap a small harvest. If you plant hundreds or thousands of seeds in the ground, you will reap a large harvest.

Spiritual: If you spend your time, money, talents, or energy investing in a friend, a stranger, a ministry, or the next generation, God can certainly multiply those efforts.

But Paul also makes it clear in the surrounding verses that you shouldn’t just give to get. If you do give, you should do so willingly and cheerfully—not begrudgingly.

What we sow with the right heart, God will surely multiply what we produce.

Proverbs 11:18 says, “…the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.” Hosea 10:13 says, “You have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception…”

Instead of seeds of selfishness, anger, or pride, let’s plant seeds of selflessness, peace, and humility.

Ask yourself: How am I investing my life? What types of seeds am I planting? Am I trusting that God will multiply my efforts when invested with the right heart?

Take some time to reflect on what you’re planting and reaping today, and ask God to direct your steps.