Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. —Proverbs 8:34
Sometimes important tasks that must be done daily can become a meaningless routine. In fact, that’s what happened to the Old Testament Israelites. God had commanded the priests to burn incense and tend to the lamps and offer sacrifices every morning. And they did, until they lost sight of the purpose behind the routines—to walk in union and communion with God. But the routines were still right. They were established by God, and they were necessary to sustain a relationship with Him.
Of course, there’s always a danger that a daily quiet time or any other spiritual discipline can deteriorate into a lifeless routine. But I’ve discovered that it’s much easier to breathe life back into a lifeless routine than to get life where there’s no routine established at all.
If you find that you’re just going through the motions in your devotional life, don’t give up. Ask God to meet with you in prayer and in His Word. He can make it a time of true worship and fellowship.
Make it Personal
What can you do to guard against time you spend with the Lord becoming a meaningless routine?