Wedding Psalms: Devotional 4
- Aaron York
- Apr 11
- 6 min read
Written by Aaron York, Kate Hartman, Corbin York
Part 1: My Prize
Story
Song
A Picture of Redemption
“Daddy, Daddy! I want that one—the big one at the top!”
Have you ever spent time at an arcade like Dave & Buster's or Chuck E. Cheese? You play games to earn tickets, which you can then trade for prizes. Picture a child at their birthday party with friends, excitedly asking their dad to spend all their tickets on that special prize from the top shelf.
Even though the tickets are worth more than the toy, the dad happily trades them in to see that child’s desire fulfilled.
This scenario parallels the heart of biblical redemption—sacrificing to regain something genuinely precious.
God wove a grand story of redemption into all of creation, and you have a vital role in it. Many people label themselves in ways that deny their true worth. The enemy deceives people into believing they are worthless—throwaways, unlovable, and broken. However, value is determined by the price someone is willing to pay. God has paid the highest price for you.
Many people struggle with feelings of unworthiness, believing their sins outweigh God’s grace. The enemy whispers accusations to keep them trapped in condemnation. However, the Bible relates a different story–a compelling narrative of love, sacrifice, and redemption.
God’s redemption came at the ultimate price—He gave His very life for you. Jesus stood at the redemption counter of Calvary’s Cross with you in mind. You were the precious treasure He had his eye on, the reason He was willing to cash in everything. He redeemed you from sin’s captivity, holding nothing back because you meant everything to Him [1].
Jesus’ perfect blood was redemption’s price. Through Him, we experience forgiveness and are restored to the Father’s original purpose: We are designed to be enveloped by His loving embrace.
In John 2, on the heels of Jesus’ table-flipping temple-cleansing righteous indignation, the bible says,
“His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me. [2]”
I don’t think that zeal for God’s house was just for a temple building in Jerusalem, I believe it was the zeal of the Lord for you. It was an expression of His zealous, consuming desire to be in intimate relationship with you, as a member of His body, His church; the people that through His death and resurrection He would make the house of His Holy Spirit!
Like the child in the arcade discovered joy by redeeming the prize, God found joy in redeeming you. He delights in you. You are His treasure.
You were created by Love, for Love, to grow into Love. Sin never was God’s design. Lies hold people back from God’s embrace, but you are the prize of Jesus’ passion, the treasure of His heart—the trophy of His mercy!
Jesus poured out his life, sacrificing everything to offer salvation freely to you. He demonstrated one hundred percent commitment. Now, the Lord yearns for you to respond with the same passionate devotion.
Are you ready to open your heart? Will you embrace the truth that he has chosen you? Will you gaze deeply into His eyes and let His fiery passion burn away every false identity? Will you fully embrace the radiant name He gives you - Redeemed!
God created you for a unique purpose. He joyfully sings over you, His beloved child. Secure in His love, you can embrace the glorious life He designed you for.
Jesus delights in you. He is calling you to Himself. You are His worthy prize. Will you say “Yes” to His love today?
Questions for Reflection:
What “labels” have you accepted from the enemy? How have you believed his lies about your true worth?
By faith, look into Jesus’ eyes of fire. Let His love burn away the enemy’s labels. Let His passion incinerate the lies meant to make you feel unloved and unlovable. How does looking into Jesus’ fiery gaze enhance your intimacy with God?
Respond to Jesus’ choosing you by completely surrendering to His affection, withholding nothing. How does complete surrender help you see yourself as His chosen prize?
Consider creating a breath prayer that you can say silently or aloud each time the enemy tries to separate you from God’s love, like: “I am a trophy of God’s mercy, the prize of His passion, the reward of His sacrifice.” Use this prayer to combat the lies every time they enter your mind. How will using a breath prayer help you to go deeper in your devotion to the Lord?
Part 2: Takes My Breath Away
Story
Song
“Ding!” Your phone buzzes; your heartbeat quickens. You reach for your device, and a thrill of excitement and anticipation floods you.
At that moment, your brain releases pleasure hormones, like you were unwrapping a special gift on Christmas morning. Social media engineers masterfully crafted this reaction using Pavlovian conditioning tactics. As Pavlov’s dogs learned to salivate expectantly to the sound of a ringing bell, we’ve been conditioned to respond to every ping with urgently ignited anticipation.
Why? Because in today’s world, attention is currency. Social media thrives on engagement, making you the product and your attention the commodity. According to the American Time Use Survey, the average person spends 2.7 hours per day on screens for leisure [3]. Yet, the average "religious" person dedicates only 6.5 minutes daily to spiritual growth [3]. That’s nearly 25 times more attention given to entertainment than to God!
As believers called to be kings and priests unto God—a holy nation confessing Jesus as Lord—we should challenge this cultural norm. Jesus said, ““If you love me, you will keep my commandments [4].” Love is best spelled T-I-M-E, yet many who profess Him as Lord spend far more precious moments with digital distractions than quietly basking in the warmth of His intimate Presence. This is the crisis of our generation: We have given our attention to the noise of the world rather than nurturing our loving relationship with the Lord.
Social media engineers understand the profound reality that what captures attention shapes affection. The "attention economy" has conditioned people to crave the fleeting dopamine hits from digital distractions. Entertainment has become a cultural idol that many willingly bow before. Each notification, scroll, and video diverts the heart’s focus, making it harder to see the face of Jesus clearly.
God woos us into something greater: The Lord desires that we consecrate our attention and rivet our gaze upon His matchless beauty.
To consecrate means to set apart for a holy purpose. God calls you to create sacred space in your days for Him. The Lord urges you to break free from cultural conditioning and focus your affection on Him. As you behold Jesus, He transforms your heart, filling you with righteousness, mercy, and justice. This is how His Kingdom is manifested on the earth—through people like you, consecrated to reflect His glorious image.
Today, will you surrender your attention to the Holy Spirit? Will you give Him all your affection? Will you allow Him to purify your focus? Will you let go of the distractions that dull your desire for God? Only His grace can set you apart wholly—spirit, soul, and body.
His face is already turned toward you, wrapping you in His tender gaze. Will you turn your face toward Him? Will you focus your vision on His perfect love?
What you behold, you become [5]. Tell Him today: "Lord, consecrate my attention. Set my heart to focus fully on You. My affection is Yours.”
Questions for Reflection
What does it mean to be consecrated to the Lord? How does the Lord want you to set yourself apart for Him actively?
What is the Lord saying to you about social media? What changes in your social media interaction does He want you to make? How will making these changes help you grow in intimacy with Jesus?
Take an inventory of your schedule. How much screen time do you have on an average day? How much T-I-M-E is set apart for basking in the Presence of Jesus? How can you make more T-I-M-E to develop your relationship with the Lord?
How have cultural norms and conditioning swayed your affection? What can you do to place your affections entirely on the Lord?
What does your vision of Jesus look like? In what ways do you need more focus? What prayer would you like to offer to the Lord right now?
Footnotes:
2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV, "21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
John 2:17 ESV, "17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
John 14:15 ESV, "15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments."
2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV, "18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."
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