3 Reasons We Cannot Replace His Word with Devotionals

Many Christians read devotionals daily as a habit to connect with the Lord.

Although devotionals are very helpful, some Christians replace His Word with devotionals. I want to outline three reasons we cannot replace His Word with devotionals.

One. The authors of the devotionals might not be credible.

Most of the time, we start reading a devotional book because our family and friends recommend it. The authors might write it to please the readers but not to tell the truth.

Sometimes they are authentic but might have very different Christian values, confusing us about what we initially believe.

I highly recommend that my readers thoroughly research the authors before starting to read them.

Words are mighty. Exposing to the wrong values for an extended time is dangerous to our spiritual life. Therefore, we must ensure that the authors are credible and strictly follow Bible's teachings.

Two. Devotionals shape our perspectives of particular scriptures without proper context.

Daily devotionals are often concise, so they are easily understood. But sometimes, the authors choose a verse or two from His Word and plug it into their content. Unfortunately, the scriptures could be misleading if we do not use them in the proper context.

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Let us take the below verse as an example.

"I am able to do all things through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13)

If we only read this verse, we will think that we can achieve anything we want in life if our goals and dreams align with His plan. But let us read the previous verses to understand apostle Paul's message.

"But I will not say anything about my needs, for I am able, wherever I am, to be dependent on myself. It is the same to me if I am looked down on or honoured; everywhere and in all things I have the secret of how to be full and how to go without food; how to have wealth and how to be in need. I am able to do all things through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:11-13)

After reading the above verses, I am sure we will understand Philippians 4:13 differently. According to the apostle Paul, he could deal with his hardships in any financial situation (related to physical wealth).

Some people will say that reading a chapter or a book of His Word is insufficient to understand the context thoroughly. I agree with that. But let us start being more aware of the scriptures used in the devotionals to ensure they align with His Word.

Three. Reading His Word is one of the ways to open our hearts to Him

If we only read the devotionals and neglect His Word, we miss one of the most crucial connection channels with the Lord. Sometimes we can feel that He is talking to us through His Word.

"From the first he was the Word, and the Word was in relation with God and was God. This Word was from the first in relation with God." (John 1:1-2)

I would elaborate less on this point because I wrote about 3 Practical Ways to Open Our Hearts to the Lord last week, including more details about how reading His Word opens our hearts to Him. Feel free to check it out.

Conclusion

I highly recommend Christians to spend time on devotionals if they read His Word regularly. But if you have tight schedules and limited time, I hope you put time into reading His Word before any devotionals.

The best time to read His Word is yesterday; the second-best time to read it is now.