by Carl the Coconut

Carlos told me he was working on his Lenten devo for this year already, so naturally I took that as a challenge to turn mine in before he turned his in. That’s another fun fact about coconuts… we’re very competitive. (I’m told that’s not so with humans.) I like a good track record or winning streak and can get a little competitive to maintain those high score numbers. For example, Carlos and I in the last year downloaded one of those free digital Bible apps on our phones complete with daily and weekly streak counts and in-app badges for devotionals and readings we complete. However, I soon found a bit of a flaw in even this wonderful invention… okay perhaps it was more a flaw within myself than the app.

I recently realized that I was more concerned with opening this Bible app and participating in devotional readings in order to make my streak numbers rise than I was in actually spending devotional time with the Lord. What’s more, I was prioritizing reading these devos over reading straight up Scripture. And that made me stop and think one day: was I choosing reading about the power of God’s Word over reading God’s actual Word?

Don’t get me wrong, I loved and still do love this Bible app. I loved so many of the devotionals I read and the way I could connect with coconuts from the same walks of life and share stories and comments about these devotionals we read together. But if I’m honest with myself, I was letting the daily streaks and in-app award badges focus me more on checking off the devo list than spending real time in God’s Word.

And it’s not the app’s fault. I do think it is a wonderful invention and initiative to get Bibles written in all languages to anyone, anywhere across the globe, so everyone can have access to God’s Word. I still have this app on my phone and use it daily. But hear me when I say that I believe there is a difference between reading stories about the power of God’s Word and reading God’s Word. Hearing testimonies from others about how the Bible is alive and active is great but unless you make the time to experience that for yourself, you are still missing something. The devil is pretty crafty in using even seemingly good things to draw us away from God. I mean who would have guessed a Bible app and devotionals could cause a coconut to read less of the actual Bible?! It’s easy to avoid things we know are bad but when even good-intentioned things are used as stumbling blocks in our lives, it’s hard to stay focused. If I let anything keep me from God’s actual Word, it becomes a distraction from hearing God’s voice above everyone else’s voice.

Matthew 6:33 NIV says “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

We need to seek God’s Word first in our lives and read His actual Word daily. Because if He does not remain our focus and main priority, everything else that we do will cease being for Him and start to be for our own selfish motives. And without His voice guiding us daily, we start to get distracted by all the loud and flashy entertainments in this world and we stumble and wander away.

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:2)

Lord, thank you for Your Word and for the seemingly endless ways it is available to us. Please help us to read Your Word daily and to keep it at the forefront of our thoughts, actions, and own words. Help us to seek You first each day, that Your spirit would flow through us in all that we do and keep us from the temptations and distractions of this world. Amen.