Sometimes in life you get busy and easily distracted. It's hard to believe 15 years ago, I never missed a Sunday morning service, a Wednesday night, and my life revolved around serving God in church. I never would have started work day without communing with God. It was the same as breathing to me. Well when you make the devil angry doing the Lord's work he doesn't like it. He's going to be pulling overtime to get out of the fight. The devil wants to get you to start sinning but if he can't he's gonna find another way. The number one I think the devil likes to get us is make us busy. The late Dr. Charles Stanley once said, "If you are too busy for God, you're asking for trouble." Martin Luther said on a normal day he said he would pray for two hours. On his really busy days he would pray for three hours because without God's help he would never get anything done.
The struggle in this world is it's always changing faster and faster. The fear of being left behind is a real concern because it's flashy advertising and the human desire to be liked and fit in. Mankind used to work only during daylight hours and now we start before the sun. Now with the way the world is it wants mankind to run itself into an early grave due to the lack of proper rest. We're so distracted by cell phones and social media platforms that we miss out. My wife always fusses about me being distracted by movies and TV shows playing in my ears while doing stuff around the house missing what the kids are saying to me or even worse when she says something. It's not bad things that often distract us but good things. A lot of good things keep us from the best things. I got into a habit of sleeping as much as possible because I have to be up early for work so showering went from mornings to evenings and breakfast was reheat and eat but the past few weeks God's like hey dummy remember Me? Whom you used to spend an hour with every morning? Remember your first love? If truly love God or someone you never lose that love, you only leave it. God reminded me that hey there is more important things than breakfast. Jesus told the devil in the wilderness when he went there to fast and pray, that man doesn't live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4) As important as breakfast is and physical nourishment spiritual nourishment is even more because the devil is like a roaring lion roaming about the earth seeking those he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8) Without seeking God in the morning and getting your mind and heart fixed upon God our day is more likely to go south in a hurry because our perspective isn't focused on what it should be. I know that if consistently you choose good things over the best things the devil can lead you astray and you become vulnerable to a multitude of sins. Then one day you wake and realize how far you have drifted away from God's call upon your life. God has called all of children who love loved Him and His appearing to walk with Him and share the love He has for us with others and why we have the hope we do.
What did Jesus command us to do? Go and make disciples of all nations but what does that mean? My life verse comes from the "old man psalm" Psalm 71: 14-15 which says, "But for me I will always have hope, I will praise you more and more. My life will tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation though I know not it's measure." Our hope isn't in jobs, people, or things but in Jesus Christ. The author and finisher of our faith. I understand that when times get hard and nothing seems to go right and it's constantly one issue after the other we might get angry with God or sometimes anything and everyone and bitterness and hurt settles in. That's when the devil finds a way in. In Isaiah 50: 10-11 scripture says, "Who among fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His servant. That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon His God. Look all you who kindle a fire, Who encircle yourselves with sparks: Walk in the light of your fire and the sparks you have kindled- This you shall have My hand: You shall lie down in sorrow(torment)." When life is hard and nothing seems to make sense and you're frustrated and in darkness that God has allowed just remember what Dr. Adrian Roger's said, " Those of greatest devotion may know the deepest darkness." Remember if you have been living in His will and according to His word cling to Him and trust the Master's touch. The late Dr. Jerry Falwell said we will never get out of trouble because it is the basic need for spiritual growth. God comes in and takes over when we finally say Lord I can't handle this anymore. If we try to find our way out of the darkness when it's God ordained the Lord said we will lie down in sorrow. When we look to ourselves and not wait upon God to fix everything and make a way to endure the time of darkness. God doesn't give us strength for tomorrow. He gives us strength for each moment. That's why we need our daily bread. That's what God was talking about in Luke 9:23 , "If anyone desires to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me." It's a daily walk. It's like a parent with a child. He wants to lead us through this life hand in hand. After a near brush with death God showed me how vulnerable I am. I have had all kinds of tests done to determine what caused me to have a random blood clot go to my right kidney and cause me to lose it. Literally die inside me. A hematologist at the local Cancer center ran every test available and she said that she has no idea and the chances of it happening again are less than 0.01 percent. I pretty much figured out what God was doing. He's like wake up because I could have ended your life that day. I found out that I might be a tough man but God showed me how weak and vulnerable I was. That blood clot could have went to a different organ or I could have been behind the wheel of an 18 wheeler and wrecked from the pain. I don't feel worthy of the call God has put on my life. God has given us all gifts to love Him and others with. I once had a dream to serve the Lord in the same manor as Dr. Billy Graham. I don't feel worthy to do so because of my sins and failures. But the thing is neither did Isaiah. In Isaiah 6 He said woe is me but God made him ready. God has a calling for all of us. He called me years ago to preach and teach the gospel. I've never really been sure what He is leading me to but day by day I pray that I get there but it's my job to continue to seek and figure it out just the same as it is for you to seek out His will for your lives. I pray that we all become everything that the Lord Jesus is calling us to be. Thank you for reading. God bless you and your family.
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