“With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.” (Psalm 119:10)
If there is anyone who deserves our full attention it is our Lord. Martha was distracted by many things. Mary gave Him her gaze. Both her eyes and ears were His.
How many days does a sheep go, wandering apart from his shepherd’s care, before finding himself in a very sorry state? The Psalmist knew what it was like to stray from God. “I have gone astray like a lost sheep” (Ps. 119:176). Through hard lessons he was taught the danger of losing close fellowship with God. “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word” (Ps. 119:67).
Repentance is nothing if it is not a zealous return to a vibrant relationship with the living God. No more distractions, no more “other things entering in” that “choke the word.” God gets our face, not our back. We pray always. We continually draw near to Him, to behold His beauty, and enquire in His temple. We speak to Him, He speaks to us. He knocks, we open. When He is ready to engage with us, we drop everything, and focus on Him. “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek” (Ps. 27:8).
In a day when there are more distractions than ever before, quality engagement with God requires a purposeful laying aside of the things which are there to lure us away. The world, with its never ending stream of fascinating things that capture our mind and eye, will always be in competition with God.
God is a jealous God. Yes, we can provoke Him to jealousy by many things, even our cell phone. All things are lawful, but all things are not profitable. Sitting at the feet of our Lord is still the one and only thing needful.