Verse:
Matthew 23:27-28 (NLT)
“Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
Devotional Thought:
On Easter morning, there’s something exciting about unwrapping a shiny chocolate bunny. It looks perfect—smooth, tall, maybe even smiling with pastel foil accents. You imagine it’s solid, rich, something worth savoring. But the moment you pick it up, there’s that sinking feeling. It’s too light. Hollow. And when you finally bite into it, the chocolate is thin and brittle—or worse, it’s not even good chocolate. The whole thing crumbles, and the disappointment sets in. It looked like it had value, but it was all show, no substance.
Sadly, this is a picture of how some of us live out our faith. From the outside, everything looks polished: we know the right answers, go to church, maybe serve in ministry. But inside, we’re running on empty. There’s no deep walk with Jesus. No daily surrender. No weight to our witness. Just a thin shell of religion—easily cracked under stress, temptation, or the heat of life. We’ve wrapped ourselves in spiritual foil, hoping it’s enough.
There was a season in my life—probably 8 to 10 years ago—when I was stuck in what I’d call a “faith-streak mindset.” I made it a daily goal to open my Bible app just to keep my streak going. Some days, I’d only read the verse of the day, maybe spend a minute with it, and move on—just enough to feel like I’d done my duty. It felt like progress, but deep down, it was hollow. I had the shell, but not the substance.
Then one day while camping, I missed my streak. I was genuinely upset. My number was gone. All that “progress” was wiped away. And in that moment, it hit me—Was this what God wanted? Just a number? Just surface-level discipline? That little moment of failure exposed something deeper: I had been clinging to the appearance of spiritual maturity without pursuing the real thing. God wasn’t angry—but He was inviting me into more. More than just routine. More than just streaks. He wanted my heart.
So how do we avoid that trap? It starts with a simple question: Why am I doing this? Am I opening the Bible to meet with God—or to meet a quota? Am I praying because I’m hungry for His presence—or because I’m afraid of losing my “good Christian” image? The goal isn’t perfection—it’s presence. Real faith doesn’t need a counter. It needs connection.
Build your faith around substance, not streaks. Choose depth over decoration. Even if it’s just one verse a day—sit with it. Pray through it. Let it shape your heart, not just check a box. Real faith takes time. It takes stillness. It grows roots in quiet moments, not just public ones. And when your spiritual walk feels more like a hollow bunny than a risen Savior—pause. Peel back the foil. Invite God to fill the empty places.
Because the resurrection isn’t hollow. And our faith shouldn’t be either.
Reflection Questions:
- Have you ever focused more on spiritual appearance than spiritual depth? What did that look like?
- In what ways has God shown you the difference between routine and real relationship?
- What practical steps can you take this week to go deeper, even if it’s just five more minutes with God?
Prayer:
Father, thank You for not leaving me in my hollow places. You see through the foil and know when I’m just going through the motions. Forgive me for the times I’ve settled for appearance instead of presence. Help me to slow down, sit with You, and be filled—not just with knowledge, but with Your Spirit. Make my faith one of substance, not streaks. Remind me that You’re not looking for perfection—You’re looking for my heart. Amen.
Related Verses for Deeper Study:
- 2 Timothy 3:5 (ESV) – “Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”
- James 1:22 (NIV) – “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
- Colossians 2:6–7 (NLT) – “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”
- John 15:5 (NIV) – “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
- Galatians 5:22–23 (NIV) – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Author’s Note:
This devotional is personal. I’ve lived the streak mindset. I’ve felt the weight of a “perfect” Bible reading record and the strange disappointment of breaking it. But that moment of failure helped me see the invitation to something better. Jesus isn’t impressed with numbers He wants your heart. If you’ve felt hollow or surface-level lately, you’re not alone. But there is more. Let’s go after it together.
– Josh