Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 12:6-7
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. Psalm 143:10
According to a University of California Irvine study, it takes an average of 23 minutes after having been distracted to get back to the task at hand. Now imagine if that “task at hand” was to stay on the narrow path laid out by Jesus in His famous Sermon on the Mount – “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life.” Keeping our mind and body focused on the goodness and mercy of God. On how much He loves us. And responding to Him throughout our day in obedience and gratefulness.
There’s never a moment, not ever, that the Lord of all creation has forgotten you. He knows every single thing about you. He has plans and blessings for you; not just for your earthly days but for all eternity.
How often do we, however, forget about God? We aren’t desperate for Him. We don’t think to ask Him to help us. Worse yet, we don’t think He will help us. We get distracted by all the flashing billboards along that narrow path luring us to take the off ramps and spend a little time (or a lot) seeking pleasure or life that fits in so nicely with the rest of the world. Every off ramp leading us further away from His loving arms.
Each time a friend, a pastor, a word here or there, or the Holy Spirit nudges us back to the path you have to wonder, how much time did we waste that could’ve been spent doing His will. Serving someone He wanted us to bless? Or even strengthening us for future trials?
23 minutes each time we are distracted. Add up all those times we chose not to go to church, not read our Bibles, not go to Bible study, not choose the narrow path. I know for me that adds up to a lot of days. Thank goodness for His free flowing mercy!
I spent a lot of years being distracted by the world. But I am forgiven. I’ve joined up with the narrow path. We need to keep our face lifted to the God who loves us all of the rest of our days. Won’t you join me?
emboldened.net 