Distractions
Musings from the Garden
By Peggy Wyar
As I stood before the Lord with my brothers and sisters on a Sunday morning, I was so focused on the presence of the Lord, I totally missed the distractions around me… until I opened my eyes. Once my sight was engaged, the things around me came into focus. I saw the swaying of others to the rhythm of the song, the whispered giggling of young ones, the movement of people as they situated in their seats or stood to exit the sanctuary. I noticed the intensity of people as they peered at their phones, while others sat motionless, soaking in the words being sung.
All these are possibilities of being distracted from the one thing that draws us to congregate together. Our thoughts can also join in the effort to get our focus off the Lord. The worries of tomorrow, the sorrows of today, the pains of the past can all crowd into our thinking if we are not successful in guarding the entrance of our minds. Conversations may be overheard from the hallway (or within the sanctuary), that may seem louder than the quiet voice of the Spirit. Outside sirens and weather related happenings can all contribute to our being distracted.
What can be done? How do keep our hearts and minds seeking His face whether our eyes are opened or closed? How determined are we to worship our wonderful Savior together?
Psalm 27:4-6a AMP tells us:
“One thing I have asked of the Lord, and that I will seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life,
To gaze upon the beauty [the delightful loveliness and majestic grandeur] of the Lord
And to meditate in His temple.
For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,”
From this portion of David’s Psalm, I read of his prayer to dwell in the presence of the Lord, to gaze on His beauty and to meditate in His temple. So the first thing we can do is ask the Lord to draw us to Himself. We can learn to gaze at His beauty and not at what’s around us. We can choose to meditate on His grandeur rather than giving space for our wandering attention.
Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP
“Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart
And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him,
And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].”
Secondly, we can trust the Lord and not in ourselves or our own understanding. As we recognize His presence with us, as we become increasingly aware of His nearness and love for us, our path to intimacy will be smoother. Our worship will flow from the pure enjoyment of being with Him, no matter what is going on around us.
Finally, we can be assured that in the day of trouble our God will be our hiding place and the One who lifts us up. We can trust Him and rely on Him, because He is worthy of our trust. As we entrust our fears and concerns and distracting thoughts to Him, we will be freer to commune with Jesus in surrendered worship.
Psalm 27:6b-8 AMP “In His tent I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
Be gracious and compassionate to me and answer me.
When You said, “Seek My face [in prayer, require My presence as your greatest need],” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O Lord, I will seek [on the authority of Your word].”
Often our praise comes easily, but at times it can feel like a sacrifice to shout out joyful praise. I say,”do it!” Shout it and sing it until it changes your heart and mind! Then when the Lord says to you, “Seek my face”, your heart can answer without hesitation, “Yes, Lord!”