US columnist CAROL ROUND, in an article first published by ASSIST News Service, looks at how we can be distracted from our walk with Christ…
“Turn to the Lord! He can still be found.
Call out to God! He is near” – Isaiah 55:6(CEV).
WELCOME ADDITION OR DISTRACTION: Carol Round reflects on whether all the “bells and whistles” of her new car will add to her life or distract her from her walk with Christ. PICTURE: Barun Patro/www.freeimages.com
After 15 years of driving my 2001 Honda Passport, it was time to shop for another vehicle. I’d bought the car new and was content to drive it until it fell apart. However, with almost 175,000 miles on it, the SUV had started costing me too much this past year to keep it running. I needed something reliable.
Shopping online first, I narrowed down my choices. I wanted something pre-owned with low miles. I needed a vehicle that would not only fit my budget but would last for many years. I settled on another Honda, a 2014 CRV. The vehicle is loaded with options that are now standard on most new vehicles, including a back-up camera, Bluetooth and control buttons on the steering wheel.
Pulling the instruction book out of the glove compartment, I started reading to learn how everything worked. I joked that I’d need a PhD to figure things out. Although these options are nice, I would have been content to drive my old Honda until it died.
Notice I used the word “content” in the previous paragraph. Before I gave my life to Jesus, I didn’t experience much contentment. I was drawn to things without lasting value. I wanted the latest and the best. I wasted time, money and energy on stuff that no longer matters.
I’ve written much lately about the choices we have in life as well as the choices we make that either draw us closer to or separate us from God. Just like all the bells and whistles on my new vehicle can either add to my life or distract from it, the things we allow into our life can do the same.
In I Kings, we read about a wicked king named Ahab. During his reign, a majority of the people were worshipping the Canaanite gods. God had already warned the people to separate themselves from the pagan gods, but they wouldn’t listen. Finally, God sent the prophet Elijah who urged the people of ancient Israel to turn from sin and to return to the true God.
With God’s help, Elijah performed miracles, including withholding rain for over three years. After a showdown with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah on Mount Carmel, God’s power over the pagan gods won out and the Israelites were convinced of the one true God. After Elijah ordered the execution of the pagan prophets, he came under a death threat from Jezebel, the wicked queen of King Ahab.
To escape her threats, Elijah ran away. Tired of running, he cried out to God. Later, God would make His presence known to Elijah. But God didn’t reveal himself in the powerful wind, an earthquake or a fire. God revealed Himself in a simple, gentle whisper.
You don’t need the latest, trendiest technological communication devices. You simply have to cry out. He is always near to those who call upon Him. We just have to listen for that still, small voice.
