Good morning and welcome in. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to ask you a question.
What is something that you spend a lot of your time doing during your day? There are numerous time consuming activities that one can get involved with that simply take you away from a close relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps some of you own a dog. Have you ever been walking your dog on a leash and they look up at you so happy to be with you as they walk obediently by your side. Both of you are enjoying the nice day together when a squirrel jumps from a tree and then all of a sudden the dog’s eyes are off of you, and they’re on the squirrel. The dog quickly forgets about you and focuses on the squirrel instead. All they can think of is pulling away from you as they rip the leash from your hand. In the same way the cares of this world can pull us away from God. So again I ask you, what is it that you spend a lot of your time doing during your day?
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Time is very precious. You have to decide what you are going to spend it on. Some people are more concerned about heading off to work in the morning rather than seeking God in prayer. Others are more concerned about cutting their lawn or painting the house than going to church or a bible study. The world pulls people in many different directions and you will have to examine yourself and determine what the squirrel is in your life that pulls you away from God. Something was more important for the following people than visiting with their lord.
Luke 14:16-24 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
Our hearts cannot be focused fully on love for God when our lives are so cluttered with things of the world.
Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
Cares, riches and pleasures of this life take your eyes off devotion to God. When we empty our lives of Earthly concerns we have much more time available to focus our attention on the one who laid down his life at the cross for our sins. Moses turned away from all the treasures and concerns in Egypt so that he could focus completely on the Lord. The apostles forsook everything to follow Christ.
What do you really need to get by each day? A pair of clothes, some food to eat, hopefully a nice place to sleep. If you can truly learn to be content living day to day with such things you will have lots of time to seek God. Like the squirrel, it’s worldly concerns and desires that take our eyes off Christ.
1 Timothy 6:6-10 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
A lot of times people like to go camping in a tent for a few weeks in the summer. Some decide to leave their cell phones or any other kind of electronics at home to get away from everything. After they’re out in the woods for a day, they realize that they have a lot of free time available. Now they have time to seek God, to pray to him, to read the scriptures or to think and meditate on his Word. In order to get to that point where you had that kind of time available, you had to come out from the world and be separate. For some people it only lasts a few weeks in the summer, but for Christians we are called to do this every single day. Separating yourself from the concerns of this world creates a lot more time available to spend with Jesus and to grow in your faith. Our eyes and our hearts need to be completely focused on our relationship with Him. He needs to be our greatest love.
What we need to do is to step back from the world so that we have no cares and concerns to come in between us and Him. The Lord Jesus would step back from the world and go into the mountains to spend time with the heavenly Father. The Lord Jesus would step back from the world and go somewhere by himself to pray. Each of us need to step back from the cares of the world, from all the busy work, from the hustle and bustle, from all those things that are unimportant in regards to our relationship with God. Christianity is about turning away from the world and turning to God. It’s about focusing our love and attention on spiritual things, rather than on the things of this Earth.
1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
So take a look into your own life and examine those things that pull you away from a loving and devoted heart towards God. Say goodbye to the world, come out and be separate, and learn to take a…….
…..Step Back.
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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