Distraction

 

Distraction 

 

There was a game show a in 2004 called Distraction where the host had people mess with you in odd ways while you were being asked questions.  We live in a world where we are often distracted by many things.  I was driving to work Thursday night and thought about this.  See the night before I was at work and the site has been empty at night.  I could read or play games you know whatever till my shift ends.  I finally decided to watch the most recent service at Real Life.  Why because I was getting distracted and my thoughts were going in directions they didn’t necessarily need to.  I’ve noticed this happening to me more often.  It reminded me as I drove to work Thursday night I needed to spend more time in the Bible.  I don’t always get it right. I need to stop being so distracted and seek God’s Word.  

 

Jeremiah 33:2-3

 

“This is what the Lord says— the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord.  Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.”

 

Kinda hard for God to teach us when we don’t spend time in his word and let ourselves get distracted.  

 

James 1:5-8

 

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.  He will not rebuke you for asking.  But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.  Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.  Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”

 

We need to get away with the Bible and seek God!  It’s not always easy.  

 

Kim Hill sang it best in her song Slip Away.

 

“Slip away my child

With the lover of your soul

Slip away so you can hear my voice again 

Say I love you 

Slip away my child

With the lover of your soul

So I can whisper in your ear 

And hold you close to me so near

Slip away my child 

Slip away.”

 

 

 

Slip away by Kim Hill

Ancient words by Michael W Smith 

I’m not the King by Audio Adrenaline

Treasure Island by Steven Curtis Chapman

For with the Lord

 For with the Lord.

A lot has been changing this week at my job site.  Also with the global landscape as far as Politics.  I try not to get political in the blog and I don’t plan on it.  But stuff is going on around us that is crazy.  We need something consistent.  Our Hope needs to be firmly on God!  

We need these 8 verses I’m about to share with you.  

Psalm 130

“From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help.  Hear my cry, O Lord.  Pay attention to my prayer.  Lord if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive?  But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.  I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him.  I have put my hope in his word.  I long for the Lord more than the sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than the sentries long for the dawn.  O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love.  His redemption overflows.  He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin.”  

I can personally relate to that part about sentries waiting for dawn because as some of you know I work as a security guard overnight.  I chose the night shift I would prefer that.  But for some reason around 3:45 am my coworkers and I can tell you a gremlin sneaks around and makes all of us incredibly tired and we’re looking for the dawn wanting to go home and sleep.  

What I don’t want you to miss from all this though is what is promised in this chapter.  With God there is help, redemption, unfailing love, forgiveness.  All spiritual things we need and don’t always realize or admit we need.  God offers them.  There is something that caused me to pause and think in verses 3-4.  “Lord, if you kept a kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could survive?  But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.”  The very record of our sins would destroy us.  Then it explains that God’s very act of forgiveness teaches us to fear and respect him.  Through all of it he uses it to teach us. Recently I was watching a documentary about the pro wrestler Bret the Hitman Hart and they said “Everything he does in the ring is seamless and each action tells a story and has purpose.”  When God does anything there is something to be learned from it.  It’s for our benefit.  Like the Genie on the movie Aladdin said “He can be taught!”  We can learn from all this if we’re willing to be taught.

More than the watchmen by Rebecca St James

Strong Tower by Newsboys

Hanging by a Scarlet thread by DeGarmo and Key

For the Love of God by Kenny Rogers

Battle hymn of the Republic by Shedaisy 

Kingdom reigns

 Kingdom Reigns 

So earlier this week I was taking the long way home from work like I normally do mostly because I hate driving on the freeway.  I had an accident on the freeway years ago makes me hate that intense traffic.  Zero reaction time trust me on that.  But the cool thing about the long way home is with my MP3 player I get to listen to a lot of music.  And one of those songs I’ve come to love is Your Kingdom Reigns by Meredith Andrews.  I wanted to share part of it and some verses.  I’ve slowly been working through Psalm 119 the longest chapter in the Bible and there’s so much awesomeness in it.  

The song says this.

“You will not be shaken 

God of our salvation 

You are, you are the rock we stand on

You go before us, Behind us

Yes, you are the one who saves

You are our portion, our promise 

Forever your kingdom reigns 

You go before us, behind us

Yes, you are the one who saves.”

Psalm 119:111-112

“Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight.  I am determined to keep your decrees to the very end.”

Same chapter verse 114

“You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.”

Also here is a chapter of more Hope.  

Psalm 121

“I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there?  

My help comes from the Lord, who made the heaven and earth!  

He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.

Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.  

The Lord himself watches over you!  

The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.  

The sun will not harm you by day nor the moon at night.  

The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.  

The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

You are loved and cared for and God is in control!  Rest in that hope!  

Your Kingdom Reigns by Meredith Andrews 

My hope is in you by Third Day 

Wide open spaces by Clear

Christ before me by Margaret Becker 

People trap

 People trap 

 

There is a line in the movie Return of the Jedi and it’s Admiral Ackbar’s famous line.  “It’s a trap!”

 

We as people fall into a trap of being concerned about what other people think.  We get so wrapped up in that kind of thinking we forget what’s really important.  See what’s really important is pleasing God!  

 

Proverbs 29:25

 

“Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting God means safety.”  

 

Psalm 118:5-9

 

“In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free.  The Lord is for me so I will have no fear.  What can mere people do to me?  Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me.  I will look in triumph at those who hate me.  It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.  It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. “

 

I want to share the words of the song “You Alone” by Kim Hill

 

“I lift my eyes when I am troubled 

I lift my hands, I lift my heart

And there I stand knowing nothing can defeat me 

Just as long as I know where you are

 

In you alone

Is where I find my comfort 

In you alone 

You’re my only hope 

In you alone 

my heart has found a resting place 

In you alone”

 

Seek to please God and don’t worry so much about pleasing others.  

 

Ephesians 5:1-2

 

“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.  Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.  He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. “

 

Psalm 119:64

 

“O Lord, your unfailing love fills the earth; teach me your decrees.”  

 

You alone by Kim Hill

Godpleaser by Petra 

We trust in the name by Steve Green 

Only a fool by Geoff Moore and the Distance 

Everything I Do by Rebecca St James

He who stoops

 

He who stoops

 

There’s an old song written by Rich Mullins and most people miss one of the verses to the song.  

 

“From the rising of the sun

To the place where it sets

The name of the Lord is to be praised 

The Lord is exalted over all the nations

His glory above the heavens 

Who is like the Lord our God

The One who sits enthroned on high

He who stoops to look down upon 

Down upon the earth and its sky.”

 

I share that part about stooping because it’s a concept we don’t always consider about God but it comes straight out of Psalm 113 verse 6 but the whole chapter is so great I want to share all of it and not just one verse.  

 

Psalm 113

 

“Praise the Lord!

Yes, give praise, O servants of the Lord.  

Praise the name of the Lord! 

Blessed be the name of the Lord now and forever.  

Everywhere — from the east to west— praise the name of the Lord.  

For the Lord is high above the nations; his glory is higher than the heavens.  Who can be compared with the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high?  

He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth.  

He lifts the poor from the dust

And the needy from the garbage dump.  

He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people!  

He gives the childless woman a family making her a happy mother.  

Praise the Lord!”

 

Psalm 116:1-2

 

“I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.  Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!”

 

God pays attention to prayer!  And that should lead us to respond with the words of Psalm 117 the shortest chapter in the Bible.

 

“Praise the Lord, all you nations.  Praise him, all you people of the earth. For he loves us with unfailing love; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.  Praise the Lord!”

 

 

 

 

Sing your praise to the Lord by Rich Mullins 

Exalt the name by Sandi Patty 

Great is the Lord by Michael W Smith

Praise the Lord by the Imperials

In the Kingdom by Whitecross