Yesterday we looked at a period of focused listening to God. In place of “fasting” I suggested that we need to identify distractions, things that keep us from focusing on God, and try to remove those from our lives.
Sometimes these distractions are so obvious or so dear to us that God has to remove them. God may have done that for some of us yesterday when he removed Pastor Terrell and Miss Debbie from our lives. We have to be so careful to distinguish God and His gifts. Rose and I belong to a dear church many years ago. Through a variety of circumstances the church changed dramatically and many learned that their spiritual life was more dependent on that church than on Jesus. That can never be.
We have a love affair with the familiar. Especially as we grow older. We don’t like change, yet change is a fact of life. It is certainly a fact of the Christian life. God will remove anything that we substitute for him. When he took his children out of Egypt, he led them in circles in the desert until they learned to depend on him. When they become too attached to the land and temple, he led them into exile.
Beginning today we need to forget everything else and focus on Jesus. He is our rock and our source. It is sin to substitute any man or any organization. It can happen so subtly. Has it happened to you?
Focus. Listen to his voice. Be blessed.
Nick
Be the first to reply