Consecration

These short devotional have been written by Rev Malcolm Duncan, Elim Minister of Kensington Temple in London. They were written in 2024 to help Elim Ministers and members spend time consecrating their lives to God.

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Lift up your head!

It might seem like everything is going wrong, and that no matter what you do you cannot get out of the rut that you are in. But God is with you. His presence is not indicated just by success, it is indicated by your deep and longstanding commitment to keep going. Finances might be tight, the criticisms might be strong, and the opposition might be tangible, but God is still God. He called you to do the work that you are doing, and He will not abandon you. Sometimes the devil wants us to feel like we are wasting our time in the work that we do. We need to have the confidence that comes from knowing that God is with us. When opposition rises and fear creeps in, it can be natural to park our call to be consecrated and focussed, and respond 'in the flesh', but in those moments we need to press deeper into consecration, not park it.

Every time you touch someone, God touches them, so is that a consecrated touch? Every time you love someone, God loves them, so is that love pure and holy and gentle? Every time you welcome a stranger, you are welcoming God. And as you do it, God is not just watching, He is working through you to transform both you and the person you are serving. But in the living, the doing and the being, God is also transforming you.

You know God is calling you to move on to something new when there is a persistent, confirmed and continual yearning for something new. It is confirmed by those around you and by Scripture and a growing sense of direction in your heart. And the best space to be in to hear the voice of God is a consecrated space. An open soul within leads to an attentive ear for the voice of God. If an attack has come out of the blue, and you are taken unawares by the criticism and the 'heat' or flames of opposition, then chances are you need to grit your teeth, keep your determination and continue to serve God, and double down on loving God with all your heart.

Sometimes you need to show your own grit and determination, but you need the reminder that God gives offers you – HE IS WITH YOU – always has been and He is not going anywhere.

For further thought –

What things can you do to dig into a consecrated life? Where are the challenges coming thick and fast? How can you remind yourself and those around you that God is still with you and that obedience and faithfulness matter most when they are hardest to maintain? Why not take some time to sit down and remind yourself and one another of God's goodness to you individually and together.