Distractions

Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”  Luke 9:62

I was driving home in the pouring rain the other evening and took my eyes off of the road for only a split second and hit some standing water on the highway that almost caused me to hydroplane.  Luckily, I was able to regain control of my car quickly and the rest of my ride home was a white-knuckle ride to say the very least.

Just like the standing water on the road, distractions can also take our focus off of Jesus.  We might be doing some great things, but if we take our eyes off of our Lord for a moment, we can quickly stumble and fall.  The enemy will stop at nothing to try and distract us.

When our minds are focused on God, we are less likely to be tempted and sin, so the enemy will stop at nothing to make sure our thoughts are not focused on our Loving God.  There are other distractions that can cause us to be distracted as well-busyness, material things, problems, and even things we enjoy, can all cause us to lose our focus on God.

Be aware of these things that distract our minds so that you can minimize them and stay on course with righteousness. 

Drifting

So Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.  All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door ; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy ; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:7-10

Last week was undoubtedly one of the busiest and most stressful weeks I have had at work this entire year. By Friday afternoon, my mind had just checked out as I was exhausted and worn out from a multiple series of events.  Being totally honest, I really struggled to find the inspiration to even write the Daily DEVO this week.  I am glad to say that the weekend provided a well-needed opportunity for me to catch my breath.  At some point, I either read another devotional or a passage of scripture that got me thinking about how Jesus resisted the Enemy during His 40 days in the wilderness.  He submitted to God’s lead and never took His eyes off of His loving Father.

Jesus’ example is one that we too should emulate in our daily lives.  It’s easy to be so preoccupied with our day-to-day lives that we adapt a worldly mindset.  When our thoughts turn away from God, we become dangerously self-dependent and let our guards down.  When we do, the Enemy always seems to strike.

We know that God will win the ultimate victory, but Satan will stop at nothing to lead us astray with his many lies and deception.  Don’t let the world fool you into trying to manage your life on your own.  Keep your eyes on Christ, stay alert and keep connected to His truth!

Distractions

Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”  Luke 9:62

I was driving home in the pouring rain the other evening and took my eyes off of the road for only a split second and hit some standing water on the highway that almost caused me to hydroplane.  Luckily, I was able to regain control of my car quickly and the rest of my ride home was a white-knuckle ride to say the very least.

Just like the standing water on the road, distractions can also take our focus off of Jesus.  We might be doing some great things, but if we take our eyes off of our Lord for a moment, we can quickly stumble and fall.  The enemy will stop at nothing to try and distract us.

When our minds are focused on God, we are less likely to be tempted and sin, so the enemy will stop at nothing to make sure our thoughts are not focused on our Loving God.  There are other distractions that can cause us to be distracted as well-busyness, material things, problems, and even things we enjoy, can all cause us to lose our focus on God.

Be aware of these things that distract our minds so that you can minimize them and stay on course with righteousness.     

Victory Dance

But you, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.  Psalm 3:3

There are times when I feel down and out and it's easy to focus on my problems rather than seeking God.  We have all been there before...when things begin to fall apart, we lose our hope, strength and everything changes, our attitude and body language included.  

When we are downcast and only able to see our problems, we feel worse and even may consider giving up.

Regardless of who you are, or what you are do, life will always provide trials and discouraging situations.  God is always waiting for us to seek His help, sometimes we have to lift our heads and look to Him.  We can rest assured with confidence that God can guide us through even the most dismal circumstances.

The next time you encounter problems and feel like giving up, don't focus on all that's going wrong, but keep your heart, mind, and soul focused on the One who will see you through to victory.

Drifting

So Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.  All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door ; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy ; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:7-10

Last work week was undoubtedly one of the busiest and most stressful weeks I have had all year.  By Friday afternoon, my mind had just checked out as I was exhausted and worn out from multiple meetings and the stress of traveling.   Being honest, I really struggled to find inspiration to even write this Daily DEVO.  The weekend was a great time to catch my breath and the sermon yesterday was timely.  I was reminded of how Jesus resisted the Enemy during His 40 days in the wilderness.  He submitted to God’s lead and never took His eyes off of His father.

Jesus’ example is one that we too should emulate in our daily lives.  It’s easy to be so pre-occupied with our day-to-day lives that we adapt a worldly mindset.  When our thoughts turn away from God, we become dangerously self-dependent and let our guards down.  When we do, the Enemy always seems to strike. 

We know that God will win the ultimate victory, but Satan will stop at nothing to lead us astray with his many lies and deception.  Don’t let the world fool you into trying to manage your life on your own.  Keep your eyes on Christ, stay alert and keep connected to His truth!