Distractions are everywhere, especially when you want to start to read your Bible. At least it happens to me. My thoughts get all scattered and flayed and disarrayed. It's so easy to be led astray.
A verse comes to mind as an antidote of sorts.
"Take captive every thought ...." (2 Corinthians 10:5).
I know it is taken a bit out of context but it is a thought that just scurried through my mind. Had to look it up. If you take your thoughts captive, what is the purpose? The verse continues,
" ... to obey Christ."
Self-control needs to come in to play here too, I think. The self-control that is generated by the Holy Spirit within us, a governing of our own will empowered by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, we won't have a lot of success.
It does help I've found, to put the harness of prayer on to help corral my thoughts and to seek the Lord's message for me for that day, before I start to read. It is so often a battle to do even that.
There are so many things to distract and lure our minds away.
"Resist the devil" (James 4:7)
and our own wayward minds.
"Submit to the Lord and then resist the devil."
In all their busyness of missionary work, Paul, Silas and Timothy don't get distracted. They pause, especially Paul, to listen to the Holy Spirit. That would take focus and a trained mind and vow for our ears to hear, listen for and to obey Holy Spirit guidance.
They had planned to go to one city but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. Paul had the vision in the night of the Macedonian man beckoning them to come to help them. So they went.
These are important moments in time where we get "the call" from the Lord to 'go here or there' and to "do this or that." We need a "Paul Pause," training and attuning ourselves to have ears that hear and are not distracted by whatever it is we allow to otherwise distract us from God's Word, building relationship with Him and earnestly learning to obey Christ.
~ ERC March 2026 ~
Based on Acts 16 ESV.
Sing, Wasted Years (Rex Allen).
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