Growing up my mother used to read and distribute Our Daily Bread devotionals. She would religiously ingest the excerpts and stories of faith, study the Scripture on the topic, and pray the enclosed prayer. Then she would become a courier for the small booklet, handing it out or sending it to friends and family by mail. She would say, "I have to go upstairs and 'do my devotions.'" In this instance, DEVOTIONS are the prayers or religious worship or observances one practices on a regular basis.
Devotion is also love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause. You can be a devoted athlete, collector, or member of a particular club. We can be devoted to a charity, an ideology, or a purpose. William Lloyd Garrison, the Boston journalist quoted above, was part of the Abolitionist Movement to free enslaved Africans here in the US. Garrison published a newspaper called "The Liberator" for 35 years from January 1, 1831 to December 29, 1965, advocating for the immediate emancipation of slaves. William Lloyd Garrison was devoted to seeing his cause through to the end. The last edition of "The Liberator" was released in the same month as the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the constitution, abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude in America.
DEVOTION means giving all or a large part of one's time or resources to (a person, activity, or cause). The Latin devovere means to ‘consecrate,’ or to formerly vow. Devotion is revealed in the vows married couples make to live together through better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others...to pledge their faithfulness to each other. These solemn promises reflect the love that Christ has for His bride, the Church, and the devotion He invites us to in return. The LORD desires our full devotion to be displayed in the free offering of our time, treasure, and talent to the purpose of Christ and His Kingdom. What barriers keep you from being fully devoted to Jesus? He spoke to His disciples about one idol/obstacle: the love of money:
24“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord]. (Matt. 6:24, AMP)
If you want to see a person's priority and devotion...or their vice, idolatry, or corruption...follow the money tree. An individual's budget and bank statements will reveal what or who is really important to them. This is even true for Believers who have been summoned to a devoted lifestyle of giving to the things of God. Proverbs 3:9-10 says, "Honor the LORD with your wealth And with the first fruits of all your crops (income); Then your barns will be abundantly filled and your vats will overflow with new wine." Similarly, a person's calendar will show where they have devoted their time, and a weekly planner might show where their talents and service are allocated. To what or whom are you really devoted? Does work, entertainment, recreational pursuits, children's activities, scrolling, take up more time and resource than the purposes of God? Maybe it's time to do a devotion check. | 
