This has been a rough time for me.  Some conflicts have arisen for me in a couple places in my life, and I have been desperately seeking the Lord in my circumstances, and clinging to His Word in search of answers for myself and my life.  I believe I am in the thick of it right now, and God is working a great work in me.  So far it has not been easy, but through it I am learning so much and I believe I am being freed of some strongholds in my life that needed to be destroyed.

In the midst of all this, I had a thought about how we live these days, with access to so much.  Be it media or things, or technology or information, or even activities and sometimes even people, we can fill our lives with so much that it is easy to distract ourselves from God.

I think Satan planned it this way.  I mean it all seems so innocent, and before you know it, your life is so busy, that you have not time for God.  The enemy knows that if we want something and we have the resources to get it, we probably will.  But, my Dad used to say, "Everything you own, owns a piece of you".  Sure, wanting to own things isn't a sin, but everything you own takes time and thought to first want it, figure out how to get it, decide where to put it, keep it clean, maintain it.  In one way or another it takes up space in your mind - space that could be God's.  The same goes for positions we hold at work or church, or time we spend on the Internet or watching TV.  The truth is, when you're trying to do it all, something is going to give.  God isn't going to compete for your attention.  He is always there, but we have to make Him a priority.

God knows the plans of the deceiver, and that's why He gives us His word to prevent us from falling for these tricks.  Psalm 119:37 says, "Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word."  God knows that if we look to things that are of no Heavenly value, we will be distracted from paying attention to God's word and we'll fall into darkness.  Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will".  How do you transform your mind?  Be immersed in scripture!  How do you get immersed in scripture?  Put down the remote (or the iPhone) and pick up the Bible.  Stop picking up a million toys scattered all over, and pick up the Bible.  

I recently have been finding out what all this means.   

Proverbs 19:22 tells us: "What a person desires is unfailing love, better to be poor than a liar".  One of my favorite teachers, Beth Moore recently enlightened me on this scripture.  I my own words, she said that we all desire unfailing love (which can only come from God) but we will try to fill our "God-shaped hole" with other things if we don't let God fill it.  If we are filling ourselves up with money, things, or anything that distracts us from God, then we are lying to ourselves and everyone else and saying that we don't need God.

Romans 12:2

New International Version (NIV)

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Psalm 119:37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.

1Timothy 6:10 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Proverbs 19:22 22 
What a person desires is unfailing love[a];
    better to be poor than a liar.
My daughter turns three next week. As I was reading my two-year-old "The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Things" before her nap today, I noticed the Bible verse in the beginning that read, "Turn my eyes away from worthless things".