Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ... Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images, song, and lyrics from the group 4HIM singing … The Basics of Life … poignantly singing of how we need to turn from the idols of this world and get back to the basic ideals of our faith.
Where is our attention these days?!!
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Highlight Verse[s]: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 [ESV] ... 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
… The Apostle Paul exhorting Christians to put our focus on the basics of our faith in Christ.
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Highlight Passage [context]: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… God, thru Paul, exhorting God’s people to attend to God first.
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Reference Passage : … Leviticus 19:4 [ESV] … 4 Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God.
… God’s simple command to avoid ANYTHING which becomes an idol in the lives of His children, anything which takes our attention away from our Lord. …
Reference Passage : … Matthew 6:33 [ESV] … 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things [i.e., worldly things] will be added to you.
… Jesus clearly directs our attention to the things of God to become the highest priorities in life.
Reference Passage : … 1Corinthians 10:14 [ESV] … 14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
… Paul exhorts us Christian, as clearly as he (for God) can make it to avoid idols in our lives.
Reference Passage : … Colossians 3:5 [ESV] … 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
… Paul had a repeated fixation on helping fellow Christians to avoid anything that took their (our) attention off of our relationship with Christ. … BUT … ARE WE?
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Adam R Holz, uses a reality story to illustrate how technology is becoming an idol in our lives. … The ODB author wrote: Technology today seems to demand our constant attention. [See Photo] The modern “miracle” of the internet gives us the amazing capacity to access humanity’s collective learning in the palm of our hand. But for many, such constant access can come at a cost.
Writer Linda Stone has coined the phrase “continual partial attention” to describe the modern impulse to always need to know what’s happening “out there,” to make sure we’re not missing anything. If that sounds like it could produce chronic anxiety, you’re right!
Have you noticed that our attentiveness to our “techy” devices [again see photo] often exceeds our desire to attend to the needs of others in our lives? The other night I was about to go to bed and I noted my cell phone was missing, … the device I use as my wake up alarm. I decided to let it go since I had no pressing issues the next day. But after not being able to go to sleep for almost 30 minutes, I got up and searched - and found - my phone, … allowing me to go to sleep right away. That incident showed me that my mind was far too dependent on that device …and very likely many other devices in my life.
Do we need to do an inventory of just how dependent we’ve become on technology “idols,” like our cell phones and other tech devices, which so often distract us from relating to others - especially God? … I sure do!
So, I pray that all reading here will take in the linked song and meditate deeply on the scriptures above to see if there are any devices in our lives which are taking our PRIORITY attention away from our relationship with Christ.
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My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Jesus, … for showing us, thru Your word, where our focus and attention need to be.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me today, to recognize that our relationship with Christ is where we need to attend … WAY BEFORE our dependence on technology!! Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.</ span>
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