Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:7-8
In the above context of Scripture, God gives us some key principles that we can apply in making the transition from our situation to our destinations. The first thing God warns His people of is the danger of becoming distracted. He warns them not to take their focus off of His Word and become distracted by what’s going on around them. You will
generally encounter distractions when you are getting close to achieving something that will take you to the next level in your life.
Distractions are designed to take your focus off of your future and cause you to become fixated and stuck in your present situation. Some of the most dangerous distractions are those that don’t make much noise but creep in while we are at ease. The apparent ease that we enjoy often causes us to forget about the work that still must be done in order for God’s promises to manifest in our lives.
A season of calm can cause the most diligent of us to become slack in the very thing that got us headed in the right direction. The enemy knows we pray more fervently and are more diligent in our efforts to be delivered, when we are in trouble than when we are at ease. Therefore, he allows a season of “trouble free living”, hoping that we will take our focus off of destroying his work, slowing being lulled asleep. Once at ease, we don’t discern his activity in our lives and slowly find ourselves struggling with the same things we once overcame. Remember, nothing is truly free
unless it comes from God. There is always a cost ,even to what appears to be peace.
Often, when we are at ease, we allow God to slip into the background of our lives and we slowly drift away from His purpose and plan for our lives. If the truth were told, that is the reason many of us are in the situations we are in now. This is why we must stay focused on where we are going and what we are trying to accomplish.
Distractions also feed our doubts and fears. When Peter began to walk on the water in Matthew 14:29-31, he did not sink because he couldn’t finish what he began to do, he sank because he became distracted and fearful of what was going on around him. As he stepped out and did the impossible, the Bible says that the storm around him became more fierce. This is a primary mode of operation by the enemy, if he can’t stop you then he will try to distract you. You must be determined to finish what you have begun and be ready to face certain distractions that will arise.
Hide this in your heart, your success will be found in your ability to keep your focus on what is ahead of you and not be distracted by what is going on around you.
Distractions are not always found in challenges or storms we might face in life but can also be found during a season of apparent ease. And this is the catch, the most dangerous enemy one can face, is an enemy that has not been detected. The Bible promises, “He will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Him, because he trusts in Him” Isaiah 26:3.
Love ReinaBeaty.
