Mature Class Study, teacher Edith Tolbert.
The enemy brings distractions to get our focus off of God and his promises as our focal point.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9…And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words…shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And…they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house…on thy gates.
God asks us to love him with all our heart, soul, and might. He told the people to teach his words to our children, to talk about them at morning and night, and to write them before our eyes as if they were on frontlets. Today he wants them written in our hearts. There are distractions to confuse, sidetrack, and keep us from focusing – cell phones, Internet, the news. These distractions cause all kind of emotions – fear, confusion, anxiety, frustration, tension, and despair. God wants us to stay focused on him and to have victory over them. When emotions come and we’re distracted, the mouth isn’t guarded so the emotions come out of our mouth that shouldn’t. We need temperance and self-control to guard our mouth. Solomon gave good advice to keep our eyes fixed on God. He wrote it and lived it for a while, but later didn’t take his own advice. Some people go along good for a while but later decide it’s not important and they’re distracted.
Proverbs 4:23-27 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Does what we say minister grace to help or is it corrupt communications so people are asking God for grace? It’s corrupt if it’s sarcasm, fault finding, insinuations, or derogatory remarks. Our communications needs to builds up the hearers.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Moses was very meek. Moses and Aaron were asking God what to do when the Israelites murmured and complained. They got angry with the Israelites and Moses spoke to them in a way that God didn’t say to and wasn’t pleased by.
Psalm 106:32-33 They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
At 120 years old, Moses let the enemy distract him by being offended instead of having patience. Moses and Aaron were grieving the death of their sister Miriam. They didn’t obey what God said by calling the people rebels and hitting the rock. God said speak to it. Moses did what his flesh said. God said Moses wouldn’t go into Canaan because he didn’t believe God.
Numbers 20:7-8 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly…and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water…water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation…
Numbers 20:11-12 And Moses…smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank …Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not…ye shall not bring this congregation into the land…
Later Moses prayed for God to change his mind, but God said no and to not speak about it again.
Deuteronomy 3:23-26 And I besought the Lord…saying, O Lord God, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works…I pray thee, let me go…see the good land…But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes…Lord said…speak no more unto me of this matter.
It’s crucial for us to speak like God wants us to. We have to crucify the flesh daily. Jesus got up early to go up the mountain and be alone with God every day. We have to be alone seeking God every day. We need to be sure what comes out of our mouth will be pleasing to God and to bring “every” thought into obedience of God each day.
II Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Martha invited Jesus to stay at her house. When you invite someone to stay with you, you spend time visiting with them. Martha was distracted by the cares of life so she wasn’t spending time with Jesus.
Luke 10:38-42 Now…he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving…and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
The deceitfulness of riches and cares of life will distract us. Jesus said they would be a snare to everyone on earth.
Luke 21:34-36 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life…For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these…to stand before the Son of man.
Solomon was the wisest man. The queen of Sheba saw how wise he was and his servants were all happy. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines that God said don’t take wives from those nations. Solomon did something he knew God said not to do. When he first became king he was doing right but when he was old, his wives turned his heart away from God. He willingly disobeyed what God specifically said to do. He didn’t obey his own advice.
I Kings 11:1-8 But king Solomon loved many strange women…Of the nations concerning which the Lord said…Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For…when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods…Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord…Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab…and for Molech… And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
David was anointed king when he was 15 years old because God wanted someone whose heart was after God. He didn’t become king until he was 30 years old. When he was about 58 years old, he wasn’t at the battle like he was supposed to be. He got lax in not fighting and was distracted so it resulted in lust and murder.
II Samuel 11:1-5…at the time when kings go forth to battle…David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose…and walked upon the roof…from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and…was very beautiful…And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba…wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her…he lay with her…And the woman conceived, and sent and told David…
God gave David a chance to repent. God is faithful to everyone and will warn us to get back on track. David was angry about the man that Nathan described. Nathan specified David’s sin. David repented and was forgiven.
II Samuel 12:1-9 And the Lord sent Nathan unto David…said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks…But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb…was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared…of his own…but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it…David’s anger was greatly kindled…said to Nathan…the man…shall surely die…because he did this thing…And Nathan said…Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord…I anointed thee king …I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives…Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord…killed Uriah…taken his wife to be thy wife…
II Samuel 12:12-14 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel…David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said…The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born…shall surely die.
We might get off track some because the devil works to distract us. We have to keep our eyes on the Lord and not get distracted. God will be faithful to send a messenger to tell us what we did and how to get on track if we get distracted. The enemy tried to distract Nehemiah when the people were building the wall. They didn’t give up and built it in 52 days.