Distracted?

God says,

"For I know the plans I have for you. They are not plans to harm you, but plans to give you hope and a future." (See Jeremiah 29:11)

This is, perhaps, one of the most quoted passages of scripture, and it is true. The simple truth is that God has a plan for each and every one of our lives and it is ultimately our choice to decide if we will choose his plans or his own.

"I have set you on the best pathway for your life, I will advise and watch over you" (Psalm 32:8, NLT)

"The Lord will work out his plans for my life, for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever (Psalm 138:8, NLT)

It's been nearly three months since I chose to follow God where he was leading me. My expectations were that everything would go smoothly and that I would transition nicely into my new job and zip code. I was looking forward to taking classes on campus and looking forward to meeting new people, well kind of. I still wish I could have packed some of my favorites from home and brought them with me, but that's another story for another time. Well, let me just tell you that nothing has happened as I expected, absolutely nothing. I was far more home-sick than I anticipated and the first month was incredibly difficult, and lots of crying happened. The job is hard, much harder than I expected, and it's not really something I enjoy doing. January and February are slow months in the hospitality industry, so my hours went from 40+ a week to maybe 10-20. Even though I was proactive in looking for additional jobs as soon as I moved down here, I have yet to secure one. Which frustrates me to no end. Since I do not have enough income to live on, let alone pay for school, I had to drop out of classes for this semester. I will say that I am thankful that God has placed me in the home of people who love the Lord and I am blessed to live where I do. That is the one blessing that was unexpected. I have met some new people and that has been a blessing, so I don't want to forget to mention that. Sorry this all seems so negative right now, just bear with me. So what does this have to do with being distracted? Lots. Stay with me here.

When the Israelites were first lead out of Egypt, it didn't take long for the complaining to start. In Exodus 15, they are singing a song of praise about their newly found freedom, but even before the end of that chapter, they are complaining, and the complaining continues.

"If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt", they moaned, "there we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted, but now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us to death." (Exodus 16:3, NLT)

The Israelites continued complaining about how they would have been better off back in Egypt and with everything that God gave them, a complaint followed. No wonder they wandered in the desert for 40 years! They did not trust God and they didn't trust that he would come through on his promise to deliver them into the promised land, the land of milk and honey. Even when God blessed them by providing food and water, they still complained.

"Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the Lord heard everything they said. Then the Lord’s anger blazed against them, and he sent a fire to rage among them, and he destroyed some of the people in the outskirts of the camp. 2 Then the people screamed to Moses for help, and when he prayed to the Lord, the fire stopped. 3 After that, the area was known as Taberah (which means “the place of burning”), because fire from the Lord had burned among them there.

4 Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. 5 “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. 6 But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!” (Numbers 11:1-4, NLT)

Now, I don't know about you, but that was pretty convicting to me. God provided, and they complained because it didn't meet their expectations and since it didn't meet their expectations, they devised that God could not be trusted.

Have I been doing that, Lord? Is it true?

A little over a month ago I had a conversation with one of my friends. She said that she felt that God wanted me to know that the enemy was tempting me to complain, just like the Israelites, but for me to resist that temptation because it was ultimately a distraction from doing what God wanted me to do, and that is to trust him. Trust God. I thought I did trust God. I thought I fully trusted God, but moving away from the familiar into the unknown much like the Israelites did, has caused me to realize that I do not trust God as fully as I thought. Now, I admit that his is heart breaking for me to realize, not to mention admit, but I know that this is an opportunity to learn and grow, and as difficult as that may be, I want it.

The enemy can distract us with the temptation to complain, and on this one, I have been giving in to that temptation. Has anyone else been there?

The enemy attempted to distract Nehemiah other ways. He was enlisted by God to re-build the wall around Jerusalem and Nehemiah was determined to fulfill that calling. Check this out.

"Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, 2 saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?”

3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” (Nehemiah 4:1-3, NLT)

The enemy tried to be-little Nehemiah and make him think he was not good enough, or that what he was doing would fail. So what did Nehemiah do? He turned to God.

"Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! 5 Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.” (Nehemiah 4:4-5)

That attempt to distract Nehemiah from his calling failed. So, the enemy, through Sanballat, tried to tempt the builders with complaining. It worked on some, but not on Nehemiah.

10 Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.” (Nehemiah 4:10, NLT)

The enemy tried fear and intimidation, but Nehemiah stood strong.

"14 Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”

15 When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall. 16 But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The leaders stationed themselves behind the people of Judah 17 who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon. 18 All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm." (Nehemiah 4:14-18, NLT)

The enemy tried to deceive Nehemiah, but he didn't fall for that either.

8 I replied, “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.”

9 They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination. (Nehemiah 6:8-9, NLT)

Wow! Nehemiah is my hero! No matter what tactic the enemy tried to distract him with, it was unsuccessful! This got me thinking. Complaining. Intimidation. Fear. Deception. Isn't that exactly what the enemy has been distracting me with? Isn't that what the enemy uses on all of us to get us off course and to take our eyes off of God? The enemy has no new tricks, and yet, we all fall for them. What did Nehemiah have that kept him from falling prey to the schemes of the enemy?

He knew God deeply. Nehemiah very clearly knew who God was and he knew that God would come through on his part of the promise and plan.

He trusted God fully. There was no question in his mind that God was bigger than whatever the enemy threw his way. God would be victorious because it was in his nature.

He walked with God daily. Nehemiah depended on God to fulfill the plans that he had for Nehemiah's life and he was fully confident in his ability to follow through. Nehemiah depended on God daily and chose to believe him over the enemy.

He turned to God first. When difficulty happened, Nehemiah didn't leave room for doubt. He turned to God immediately.

With all these things, there was certainly no way that the enemy would ever be successful. Nehemiah completed the job that God had for him, despite the difficulty and he never wavered in trusting God.

When we give into the enemy, it is almost always because there is some part of us, no matter how small, that doesn't believe that God will come through on his end and we fail to trust that God is who he says he is and that he will do what he says he will do. Perhaps it is because we let our expectations of how his plans will look to completely influence our success. Perhaps we believe, and pridefully so, that our ways are better than God's. Perhaps we only want God's plan for us if it is easy and if it comes difficulty free. Ouch!

God made it clear to me prior to moving down here, that it would not be easy, and even with that warning, the minute it became difficult was the minute I wanted to go home.

Since God has made it perfectly clear that I need to stay, I will. I will also lean harder on him and learn day by day to trust him a little more. I know it wont be easy, but now that I know how the enemy has been trying, and succeeding in distracting me, I will be on my guard and I'll take a little advise from Nehemiah. Despite the distractions the enemy sends my way, I will choose to "continue the work with even greater determination." How about you?

Lord, I am so very thankful for your Word that brings light to the darkness and shows me the things I need to improve on. Lord, I know that this is your way of teaching me to be more like you and to face each day in life by being mindful of who You are and whose I am. Lord, I ask for the strength to take on each day trusting you fully and I ask for you to increase my ability to trust you. Lord, I know that you are faithful and that you keep your promises. Lord, I know that you are good and only do good. Lord I know that your love for me far surpasses anything I can imagine. Lord, I know that you hold me close. Help me to live each day in complete surrender and trust to you and to your plans for my life. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Removing the Boulders

"God says, "Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity." (Isaiah 57:14, NLT) "Go out through the gate! Prepare the highway for my people to return! Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders; raise a flag for all the nations to see." (Isaiah 62:10, NLT)

I have been thinking about these two passages since Tuesday. Not continually, but off and on at random moments these two passages have been coming to mind again and again. Isaiah was making it clear that God was coming to ransom his people and redeem them from the depths of their sin, but that they needed to be prepared, and it was urgent. There were things in the way; boulders, rocks, stones - some translations even say, "Remove the stumbling block." This got me thinking; and by thinking, you could safely say, dwelling. Why was it so important for the Israelites to remove boulders, rocks, and stones out of God's way? Couldn't he do that? I mean, he can move mountains, right? Then a thought crossed my mind. Perhaps, God so urgently wanted all those boulders, rocks, and stones removed, not so HE could get to HIS people, but so HIS people could get to HIM. It seems to me that God wanted for all his people to return to him, and it was urgent. It was not, "Hey, can you move that rock out of the way? Yeah, that one over there. When you get a chance, no hurry. Ok. Thanks." It was, "Clear away the rocks and stones, pull out the boulders, remove the stumbling blocks! Clear the way so my people could return!!" It was urgent and I'm not so sure that God was telling the Israelites to remove these things for other people. I think it's a blatant demand for each Israelite to get those rocks out of the way of his own path to God. It's a blatant demand for me and for you to get those stumbling blocks out of the way of my own and your own path to God. Wow. Do I have a stumbling block? Do you have a stumbling block? What is keeping you from moving forward in your relationship with God? Do you even have a relationship with God? Are you on his path following him? Or are you on a path of your own design? God wants whatever is stopping you from getting to him and having the full relationship he designed for you to have with him, gone. He not only wants it removed, he wants it destroyed. How big is it? Some of us have pebbles; some have stones, some have rocks, some have boulders, and some have mountains. What insurmountable thing is keeping you from God? Is it fear, doubt, unbelief, unforgiveness, bitterness, anger?

Beloved, the world, and unfortunately, sometimes the church, does a really good job at pointing out the mistakes we have made. They are really good at throwing them in our faces and telling us that God could never forgive us, God does not love us, and he never could. Dear one, those are lies. God longs to fully and completely forgive us for the things we have done in our lives. He longs to show each and every one of us who he really is. He longs to lavish his unshakable, unimaginable, unwavering, unrelenting, unmerited love upon all who seek him. Upon you. Upon me. He says, that while we were still rebelling against him, while we still were choosing to ignore his voice calling our names, he STILL chose to send his son Jesus to die on the cross for us. Not so he could get something from us, not so we could just be saved, but because his love for each of us is so great that he wants for us to see it. He wants for us to feel it and he wants for us to follow him, no matter the cost. Even if it is hard. Even if it doesn't make sense and even if we have to do some heavy lifting.

Look, I am here to tell you that I am not exempt from this call to clear the path. I can say, that there are definitely some stumbling blocks in my way, one might even be the size of a boulder. That one in particular is FEAR. For me, continually I am held back by fear. It gets in the way of all that God has for me and prevents me from moving forward and being strong, brave, and courageous. What do I fear exactly? Well, I've got a list: Failure, Success, (I know, right?), being alone, disappointing others, disappointing God, not being enough. I am stubborn. I am impatient. I am frustrated and pretty darn close to being angry. All these things I have personally placed in my path. I did it. I put them there. I have removed them before, but for some reason, I have insisted on putting them back. Why do I keep putting them back? As I sit here thinking about it and thinking about all of you who may be reading this, my heart breaks. Why do I choose to keep myself away from God when my heart desires to be near him? Am I the only one who is asking themselves this question right now? God is continually speaking to me and to you, but why do we choose not to listen? Why?


Buckle your seat-belts for a moment of raw honesty. Earlier today, I went for a hike. I was expecting a beautiful hike and it was a beautiful day, but the hike was nothing like I expected. With every step I took through the mud and water, I became more and more angry. "If I would have known it would be this way, I would have not come!" I said under clenched teeth. "This is 100% absurd!" I growled. "God I know you are trying to teach me something right now, and I don't want to hear it!" I said. I didn't have to hear it, I knew what he was trying to teach me. There I am on a path that was created for me to follow and the minute there is opposition, or an obstacle, I get angry. I get impatient and I want to quit and find the easiest way out. Oh my word, if you only knew how true this was to my life right at this very moment! Moving down here to Virginia Beach, because I know it is where I am supposed to be, has been so difficult that I want to take the easy way out and quit! To be honest, I want to go home. Every area of my life that I have won victory over has been challenged since I moved here. I cannot even express how frustrating that is, but I know that God is with me. It is also very clear to me that I don't trust him like I should. If I did, these obstacles would seem like speed bumps, but to me, right now, they seem like boulders, and they need to go. I can't live my life in such a way that when obstacles and challenges come, I want to give up and go home. NO! This is not any way to live! I can't continue to live this way, and beloved, if you can in any way relate to this, you can't either. There is hope.


I love how Isaiah 57:15 brings that hope. Look at this,

"The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: "I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts."

Dear one, there is hope. When we take these stumbling blocks, no matter the size, to God and ask him to take them from us, he does. It takes humility to come to God and admit that we are wrong and that we have wrongly placed barriers in our way and have personally prevented ourselves from receiving all that he has for us. God promises to restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. If that's you, then believe that he will do what he says. God wants for you to admit to him those boulders that are in your way. Tell him all about them and he will remove them. Give them to him and refuse to take them back. Don't be tempted to ignore it. It will not go away on it's own. I need help to remove them and so do you. God promises to help. Whatever it is, he will forgive and he will help you get that far away from your life, but you must let him do it and you must let him into that part of your life. God promises to be with you every step of the way, whatever it will take. He loves you. Look, I am telling myself all of this too, so don't feel bad about yourself. We all need reminders from time to time. Let God help you overcome each obstacle. He is fully capable of helping you be victorious. Take some time to write them down if you don't think you can remember them. Ask God to show you what is keeping you from him and be willing to do what is necessary. You can do this, just not on your own, but don't be afraid or overwhelmed. God is right here waiting to help and to show you once again just how much he loves you.


Lord, "Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, (and I will follow) I give myself (and these stumbling blocks) to you. Rescue me from my enemies, Lord; I run to you (for protection) to hide me. Teach me to do your will. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on firm footing." (See Psalm 143:8-9) In Jesus Name, Amen.