May 16 - Psalm 144-145 | Psalm 88-89

Good morning everyone,

I know what you’re thinking and, no, I didn’t get confused in the order of the verses. As you all know, the Bible isn’t necessarily written in chronological order and since that is how we are going through the Bible this year, this is how today’s verses fell. That and Psalm 88 and 89 were not written by David but by Kora and Ethan, respectively, Levite musicians who served under David. Right on?

In Psalm 144:3-4  David wonders of God how it is He can remain so devoted to us, human beings, mere mortals, and pointing out that life is short.  We are like a breath of air; our days are like a fleeting shadow. James 4:14 tells us the same thing, it says, “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” So I ask; What are you doing with that time. I once heard a teaching that really had a strong impact on me and the way I spend my time. I would like to be able to tell you that I don’t waste any, but I do. I would really like to say that I don’t get lost in my screens but I still do that too, but far less than before and even less with each day that goes by.

I am a super visual person and I can picture in my head ev-ery-thing. It is a blessing … it is a curse. So while I did not write the following illustration, author is unknown, I can totally see in my minds eye Satan doing this. When you realize you are being duped by a creepy liar, a jerk of all jerks it is much easier, at least for me, to avoid all the tactics he uses to distract you, distract me, from prayer, or worship music or listening to a teaching or even reading my Bible. What?? Read your Bible in the middle of the day? Yes! Anytime! So take a read, let your eyes see if perhaps the enemy has infiltrated your life.

Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his demons, he said, "We can't keep Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from conservative values. But we can do something else. We can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. "So let them go to church. Let them have their conservative lifestyles. But steal their time so they can't gain that experience in Jesus Christ.” 

"Here is how I want you to do this. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day."

"But how shall we do this?" shouted one of his angels?

"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent numerous schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then borrow, borrow, borrow. Convince the wives to go to work and the husbands to work 6-7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their life-styles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their families fragment, soon their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work."

"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive, to keep the TV, the VCR, their CDs going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ. Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day and invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogs, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes."

"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from it exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week."

"Don't let them go out in nature. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion."

"Let them be involved in soul-winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family unity for the good of the cause."

Well, in the end it was quite a convention. The demons went eagerly to their assignments, causing the Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here and there.

Has the devil been successful in his scheme? You be the judge.

Me again :-) - Is Satan keeping you from an intimate, abiding experience in Christ? Friends, spiritual warfare is for real!! You need to believe that. Distractions are designed to take our eyes off the Lord. Seriously, how may of you have gotten up a little late in the morning and thought, “Oh I will do my devotions a little later, yea … tonight before I go to bed would be good.” And for the most part we do not, distractions with tired, children, phone calls, word games, you name it keep us from getting to this put off devotions. We, as Christians, we must bring discipline to our thought life and our actions.  If we allow these areas to be compromised, we simply can not be effective in resisting the enemy, we will not be able to stand firm against him. Our strength, our wisdom,  our ability to make good judgement calls, are dependent upon our close walk with the Lord. I know I have said this before, but keep your eyes on the prize.  Remember, our time on earth is like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes, but eternity, infinity and beyond, will be spent worshiping and praising our God in heaven. Amen? 

Have a super good day and to God be the glory!

God bless you all…