Distractions at the End

Then he said to the disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few…”

My desire to sin and my desire to serve God… Which one will win? And why does it matter so much?

Someone mentioned recently that my devotionals have taken on a more serious, urgent tone. Not just mine but others as well. Do you feel the tension in the atmosphere as well? Bilbo Baggins expressed it well in the Lord of the Rings when he said, “I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread.” We are reaching the end of the page, having to make our words small and cramped so that they can fit on the paper. Our world is shifting, about to be turned upside down.   Many will fall, never to get up.   The harvest of people demanding to know the gospel is ready. People’s hearts are ripe with expectant longing to meet Jesus.

At the same time, the battles around us and within us are burning. The biggest struggle I have faced over the past few years is that of distraction. Don’t let the term fool you. It is so much more sinister than anyone could guess. Many people have died because they were texting while driving. More recently, many young people have perished while taking a selfie, unaware that they were about to fall over a cliff or stumble into traffic.

Let’s bring it home. What is Satan using to distract me from doing God’s work? The harvest is ripe but so few workers are available to do the work. God has convicted me of this time and time again. He keeps saying to my heart, “While you are busy pursuing your interests, what important things are you missing?” So I’m asking you today: Ask for the heart, eyes, and mind of Christ so that you don’t miss the very people that God has put in your path. They are ready.

Heavenly Father, Forgive me for being so distracted and blind to Your harvest. I don’t want anyone to be lost because I was focusing on the wrong things. Turn my eyes in the right direction. I am ready. In Jesus Name, Amen

Journal

King David and King Solomon were both distracted. What were they distracted by? What were the consequences?

When the disciples tried to turn children away from Jesus, what did Jesus say?