Distractions!
The enemy is a master at distracting us from our purposes. He has been playing this game for eons and he is playing to win. We must understand that if we get distracted we still miss the mark. Not long ago in the news we had the disaster when the Italian ship captain ran his ship Concordia aground because he was distracted by a woman and didn’t keep his eyes on where they were going. He knew they were off course and wanted to sail close to land to wave at another captain on shore. He left it up to his crew to do it and it cost the lives of a few people.
In Eden, the enemy tempted Adam and Eve by distracting them. “Is it true that God said” he asked them. He distracted them from the commands of God. The first commandment that God gives Moses on the mountain is: “You shall have no other gods before me.” Is God intimidated by man-made idols? Absolutely not, but God knows that their power does not lay in what they can do because they are powerless, but He understands that they are a distraction away from Him. This sounds too simple, but it is in this very thing that we fail. We underestimate the influence these things have over us. When you look at most commercials today the very purpose of them is to distract. You see the pretty girl and it distracts you from the price you will have to pay to have the product. Commercials on TV are geared towards distracting you from the reality of making the 60 monthly payments on that car and all the costs involved for gas and insurance. They show you how fast it can go, and where it can go, etc..
When you study the bible you will find that every time Israel prospered they turned their hearts away from God. The very blessing became a distraction that made them follow after other gods. Distractions can be positive and negative things in our lives. Think about the news channel that everyone watches. I am not saying that it is wrong to watch the news, but what I am saying is that when the news becomes the source by which you understand the bible you are distracted. The Spirit of God and not the daily news lead the children of God. Throughout the Bible we see these distractions.
When Elijah was ready to be taken up in a whirlwind, he asked Elisha what he wanted from him. “A double portion of what is on you” Elisha required. “If you see me when I am taken up you will have what you asked for.” As they were walking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them. Then Elijah was taken up in the whirlwind. What was the purpose of the chariot and horses of fire? It was a distraction to see if Elisha would keep his eyes on Elijah. If he looked at the chariot and horses he would have missed the double portion. When Peter got out of the boat to walk on the water to Jesus the waves were a distraction. When he looked at the waves he sank. Distractions will make you miss your mark.
After God gave Abraham a son called Isaac, God asked Abraham to give him back through sacrifice. I totally understand that it was a prophetic picture about what God would do one day through Jesus when he gave His son as an offering. I also believe that there is another lesson in this for us. Why did God ask Abraham to give him back? I believe it was to see if Abraham wanted Isaac more than he wanted to have what God had for him. Isaac could have been a distraction but Abraham gave him back. That is why God blessed Abraham so much; because his heart was for God and not for what he could get.
Let me ask you a question. Will you still serve God when he blesses you? Will money or prosperity become a distraction? Paul warns us about something:
1Tim. 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Look at what he says. Many have erred or walked away from their faith. Money is not bad. We need it in the kingdom and God loves to bless his people with possessions, but when that becomes a distraction it becomes an idol that pulls you away from God.
What has your heart? What gets your attention? The devil does not have to get you to sin to miss it. All he needs to do is to distract you. Next time we will talk about the ways we can overcome the things that try to get our attention. One of the things that David did was to meditate on God’s word.
Let me close by saying this. There is one distraction we all struggle with. It is so obvious and yet we do it daily. Think with me for a minute.
Worry! It steals our time and wrecks our hope. It comes to us disguised in the form of being able to work it out. It makes you feel empowered to do something yet it never releases you to find the answer. It keeps you occupied and saps your energy. It gives you questions to problems that don't even exist. It pulls you into a game of survival where you feel outnumbered and under prepared. It never brings you to a conclusion and always leaves you wondering what would have happened “if.” It distracts us from God and His answers for our problems. It minimizes God to the size of our understanding. Worry creates the questions that will undermine God’s integrity and puts Him on the side of the guilty. Worry distracts and it is an idol!
God said “no other idols before me.” Are you ready to deal with this and eliminate it from your life? Father, we bring these things to you and ask that you will reveal what we are dealing with and that you will break the power it has over us. We refuse to play into the enemy's hand and ask that you will deliver us from all evil. Help us to meditate on you and your goodness. Thank you that your mercies are new every morning and today we partake of your mercy for our circumstances. Amen.