Last week was our last week in the devotional, Becoming a Woman Who Walks With God by Cynthia Heald. I highly recommend the book.

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We started the week reading Psalm 119:37; Genesis 3:6; and Psalm 119:14.

It’s easy for material things to vie for our attention. We see them all around us in commercials, social media, and in emails. They will pretty much be bombarding our senses especially as Christmas approaches.

There’s nothing wrong with having things but as the author points out:

“The problem arises when acquiring material things takes on such importance that it becomes a primary source of meaning for our lives.”

(Becoming A Woman Who Walks With God by Cynthia Heald, page 81)

In other words, when they become a distraction in our lives.

The heading on this reading was  “Guarding Against Distractions.” It immediately brought to mind a recent phone conversation with my cousin, who is a photographer. He shares his beautiful photos with me from time to time.

He had sent me beautiful photos of birds, which spoke to my heart of peace, and patience, and waiting on God.

As he went back to look at them, he realized he had become distracted by a plane overhead while taking the photos. It was flying very low and the sound was louder than usual. He shifted his focus from the bird to the plane.

Their booming sound shifted his gaze from the peaceful bird to the noise overhead.

He became distracted. The bird, however, steadily kept looking for its food.

Not all that glitters is gold, they say. The loudest, or the noisiest, may not deserve our attention.

It’s Genesis 3:6 that grabbed my attention this morning:

“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” (NASB)

The fruit was good, a delight, and was desirable. Nothing wrong with the fruit other than it was not meant for them to eat or have.

Now more than ever we need to “turn our eyes upon Jesus.”

What distractions tend to draw your focus away from the Lord?

It may be something as simple as a plane flying overhead.

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Mid week we read 2 Timothy 2:4 and talked about entanglement.

Although I was familiar with the word, the definition from dictionary.com broadened the meaning >>> “it’s a snare; a complicating involvement.”

Our goal should be lifelong faithfulness to the Lord.

The word ‘snare’ in the above definition  reveals the root origin of entanglements in our lives is the enemy.

The enemy of our souls sets snares (traps) to make our lives so complicated that he pushes us off the goal of faithfulness.

We have been enlisted to the cause of Christ. To be faithful to that cause, we must not become entangled in the affairs of everyday life. We must keep an eternal perspective. This is the only way we will live pleasing to Christ.

“No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.” (2 Timothy 2:4, NASB)

Enlisted.

Not Entangled.

It’s the way in which we achieve lifelong faithfulness.

The book asks: Where are you most likely to become entangled in the affairs of everyday life?

For me, it is often as I watch the news. So much of what goes on both nationally, and globally, can entangle my emotions and make a mess in my heart. But as I shut it all off and remember His promises, He draws me back to His side.

What about you?

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The topic? Thirst.

Those times when we feel dry spiritually. If anything has tested this as of late, it may have been this time of a pandemic, restrictions, isolation, change, division, and a plethora of opinions.

“Instead of dwelling on his adversity, David dwells on God.”

(Becoming A Woman Who Walks With God, Cynthia Heald, page 96)

That really is it in a nutshell, isn’t it? If we focus on our circumstances, we will feel overwhelmed and those circumstances will appear larger than life itself.

But if we dwell on God and who He is and what He is able to do, He will be bigger than our circumstance.

The author asks: Where in my life is the “dry and weary land” that makes me most keenly aware of my thirst for the Lord Himself?

We need to identify that spot so that we can earnestly seek Him in our time of thirst for the comfort and encouragement we need. As He alone meets us, we will find He is the source of living water and life, and in so finding – we will seek Him all the more.

“O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.” (Psalm 63:1-2, NASB)

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May we not distractions or entanglements
keep us from seeking God earnestly.

 

Photo 1: David Tommasino
Photo 2: Universal Eye on Unsplash
Photo 3: KAUE FONSECA on Unsplash

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