Without Distraction

September 6

We tend to wonder why our prayers aren’t answered. We understand that God has a time-table and He may put our prayers on ‘hold’ in order to facilitate the answer at the optimum time. It is when the delay becomes protracted that we become concerned that perhaps He will not respond.

I Corinthians 7:35 gives us a bit of insight into the perplexity in which we tend to find ourselves when it appears that God has not chosen to lean His ear toward us when we have supplicated Him in the behalf of a need that we know would be easy for Him to meet if only He would.

Here Paul says, “I am saying this for your benefit…so you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.” We tend to be creatures of our age. We’re accustomed to doors that swing open for us as we approach them, instant mashed potatoes, cake mixes, prepared pie crusts—everything is quick and easy. Paul understood that the Lord isn’t a genie in a bottle.

He is not at our beck and call. He hears, He answers, but He will not be presumed upon. He desires that we seek Him with all our heart if we desire to find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). He wants us to want HIM, not just what He can give us. He wants us to be devoted to Him, as the Word says, without distraction!