Category: Devotions

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Daily Devotion

Distractions Everywhere

But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came 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.” Luke 10:40

Hey folks, I apologize for the lack of devotions lately. Being sick is not something I enjoy and this week has been tough. Fortunately, I feel somewhat better and I have been able to stay focused a little better than I had been able to the last two days. Obviously, I allowed how I was feeling to distract me from my responsibilities. But don’t we all do that sometimes?

Referencing the scripture above and the context of Martha’s statement, Jesus and the disciples were heading to Jerusalem (Luke 10:38). They stopped in Martha and Mary’s village, and stayed there. Martha immediately busied herself with cooking, preparing and serving while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. Martha proceeds to complain in the above verse, but notice she was distracted. Jesus didn’t tell her to cook!

Distractions can come in any form. You can even get distracted by volunteering for something—like Martha, who took it upon herself to make a big dinner—that was not even asked of you! The only real way that we can overcome distractions is by seeing them for what they are, casting them down, and asking God to continue to reveal them to us. The sooner we recognize them for what they are, the sooner we can redirect our thinking and focus on whatever it is that we truly need to be doing!

“I’m saying this for your benefit, not to restrict you. I’m showing you how to live a noble life of devotion to the Lord without being distracted by other things.” 1 Corinthians 7:35

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Daily Devotion

A Conundrum of Thoughts–Clear 'Em Out
 
'And again, I will put my trust in him…'  Hebrews 2:13
 
Has your mind ever been everywhere but nowhere at the same time?  Like thinking about bits and pieces of everything or the things that you wish were going on in your life but are not.  Even at those times, that imp confusion tries to break in but can't.  You may be like me, knowing the next step but procrastinating in taking it, because even after you take that step, you are not sure that it is the right way for you to go.  Its like being the middle of a labyrinth (a maze people lol) and there are infinite paths all around you to take but you are not sure.  It is really at these times that we should seek God in every possible way we can.
 
If you knew me before I went to college, and as I prepared to go, I knew one thing for sure that I would never return to SC.  But we should never say never because we never know what points we have to meet and pass, what stones we have to step over to get to that next point or what unexpected turns we may face.  I went to church today, and although the sermon cast light on lots of things that will help me in my ministry and counseling aspirations, my mind was not there.  It was simply lost in the sea of thoughts surfing through my mind. As I write this right now, I know that my only consolation is turning to God, inclining my ear to His voice and trusting that He will make all wrongs right.
 
The only way to truly seek God is to pray and open yourself up to listening.  Whether you have to clear your room, clear your house, or just go to the place where you can be totally alone and in God's presence, you should do that.  I know that now, more than ever that we have to truly face ourselves head on and go to God in all things.  Even if you have to meditate on the same scripture, do like Isaiah says in 8:17 and "And I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him."  Even right now, where things are just so uncertain, I know that God has not failed me yet.  In due time you will see what He wants you to see and you will do–if you obey–what He wants you to do.
 
"For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.  Habakkuk 2:3