Distractions

I enjoy looking out the window into my backyard with its peaceful view of green trees, bushes and a sprinkling of flowers. One morning when I looked out there was a leaf stuck to the outside of the glass.

</ The leaf, although a nice enough leaf, did not belong on the window and each time I looked out my eyes were invariably drawn toward it. For one reason or another I didn't go outside and knock the leaf off the window for a couple of days. It just stayed there, stuck to the glass, distracting my eyes from the lovely view outside.

I realized that here again is a message from God's creation -- this one about distraction -- defined as:
---To distract: to draw away or divert, as the mind or attention; to divide the mind, attention, etc. between objects.
---Distraction: that which divides the attention or prevents concentration.

What distracts you from spending time with God? What are the things or activities or duties in your life that cause you to continually say, "I'll study God's Word and spend time with Him after I do this...."? We all have something, perhaps several somethings that too often draw our attention from our beautiful, peaceful, powerful time with God.

Here again is a tool Satan and his henchmen know how to use well. They've been around a long time and they know just which distraction to use with each one of us. What distracts you may not distract me, and vice-versa.

Here's what God says about distraction in Proverbs 4:25-27: "Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil."

Distractions, although innocent in themselves, can do a lot of harm to our spiritual lives. They can keep us from seeing the bigger, better picture God wants us to see by catching our attention and causing us to concentrate on smaller, less significant objects. Distractions can keep us from building a deeper relationship with our heavenly Father. Christopher Columbus once said, "By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination."

What is your spiritual goal? Is it to know God more and better? As our old friend Chris points out, prevail over the distraction and you will arrive at that goal. The prophet Jeremiah echoes that sentiment in 29:13-14: "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord..."