This morning
when I was in prayer, waiting on the word, all of these random thoughts kept
popping in my head. They weren’t necessarily bad thoughts but they kept pulling
me away from my meditation and communion with the Holy Spirit. I started to get
a little frustrated and then I heard a word – distractions! Hmmmm…ok….yeah…that
was definitely distracting. Okay, God, lead me on this one. He then gave me a
great visual. I saw a man sitting at a picnic table and he had a great plate of
food. He had his fork in his hand and he was ready to throw down! Then I saw
this fly appear and it started buzzing around his head and doing dives toward
the man’s plate. He kept swatting at it and growing frustrated. Then the fly
landed on his plate and I saw this look of contemplation come across his face.
You could see his struggle as to whether to keep eating or throw the plate away.
I started to get excited! We are like that man and our lives are like the
plate. The enemy sends people, things, money, etc. to distract us and frustrate
us and many times it comes down to how we react. Do we keep going or do we
throw in the towel?
Do you
remember in Matthew 4 when Jesus was tempted by Satan? He had been in the
wilderness, fasting for 40 days and 40 nights. He was HUNGRY, y’all! The enemy
came and said “If you are the Son of God, command
that these stones to become bread.” (Matt
4:3 NKJV) This was a distraction. Jesus was in the wilderness for a purpose. He
was sent there by the Holy Spirit. He had a mighty work and assignment to do and
He had just been baptized and then announced and affirmed by God at the end of
the Matthew 3. What better time for Him to be tested by the devil? But Jesus
gave us the ultimate example. He spoke
the Word. “…It is written, ‘Man shall not
live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
The devil didn’t stop there, he continued twice more to tempt and distract
Jesus from receiving the full benefits of the fast and the preparation for His
ministry. Every time, Jesus spoke the Word and the devil had to leave. If the
enemy can distract you and get you to speak death over your own situation, he
has won. If God has set you on a path of purpose, He has equipped you to walk
it out, but the devil does not want you to reach your destination. He wants to
throw anything that he can in to your way so that you will go off path. That’s
why it is so important to know that Word of God for yourself. So when that
distraction comes, you can speak the Word and the enemy has to flee.
Jesus taught
another lesson on distractions. In Luke 10, we find the story of Mary and
Martha. Jesus had just entered their village and was welcomed into their home.
While Jesus was teaching and fellowshipping, Mary sat at His feet taking in all
that she could. Meanwhile, Martha was all over the place! She was serving,
cleaning…busy! So much so that she got mad and went up to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my
sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
(v. 40 NLT) That’s a lot of gall, right? She was not pleased and let her
opinion be known. How many times do we let the busy work of life distract us
from our purpose? How many times do we find ourselves so frustrated because we
have poured out everything but it seems like no one is acknowledging it? “But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha,
you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth
being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away
from her.” (v. 41 & 42 NLT) All that fussing and cleaning and cooking
was a distraction from Martha getting what she really needed, worship and
fellowship time with the Master. Mary looked above the distraction and found
Jesus. At some point, we have to recognize the enemy’s tricks and not give in
to them. When everything is going haywire around you and you can’t even get a
prayer through, it’s time to take a step back and just worship. Go in your
secret place and worship your way through.
We are in a
season of acceleration and change. God is pushing many of us outside of our
comfort zone and into our next level. Don’t you think the devil wants to stop
you? Now is the time to get even further in your word. Get even deeper into
your worship. We can’t allow the enemy to distract us from our destiny. Let’s
think about that example with the plate again. If the fly lands on a part of
the plate or the distraction touches your life. What will you do? If the man
prayed over that food before he started eating it, isn’t He covered? If the fly
just landed on a chip, why should he throw the whole plate away? God is ever
present and if you are in relationship and saved, you are covered. Don’t let
one distraction throw your whole life off track. You are an overcomer! You are
more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ. As I close, 1 Corinthians 10:13
gives us an assurance that we can stand on when we face distractions and
temptations in our lives. I challenge you to trust that God sees and knows what
you face and that His word is sufficient to carry you through! “Any temptation you face
will be nothing new. But God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted
beyond what you can handle. But He always provides a way of escape so that you
will be able to endure and keep moving
forward.” (1 Cor. 10:13, VOICE)
AMEN
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