Put Down Your Phone!

Yesterday I spent all my prayer time meditating on some verses from Mark 11, the story of Jesus cleansing the temple. Here are the verses - Mark 11:15-17 NIV:

[15] "On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, [16] and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. [17] And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations' ? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.' ”

Like always I started digging into these verse, wanting to understand the circumstances, wanting to understand the scriptures Jesus was quoting, so I dug them up and started reflecting on them as well.  They are Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. I wrote them out and was reflecting on what the Lord was saying in them, and His message was quite clear.  He wants people to be able to come to Him in prayer, to experience Him, to experience His Presence, to receive the Blessing, to further their relationship!  Jesus' actions and statement in Mark 11 are a good representation of how important our prayers and relationships are to Him!  He doesn't want us distracted by business, by all the noise and worries, by everything other than Him.  He is supposed to be the only focus of worship in the Temple, and as such also wants us to recognize that we are His focus.

The whole time I was reflecting and researching, I was also checking my email, responding to some texts, and some emails, some business, some personal.  I was checking the news for a quick update, checking the weather, and several other things I normally do as I start my day!   I was so distracted by the other stuff that I didn't have time to finish my reflection. At the end of my time, as I was putting away my bible and going to get ready for the  day, I heard the Lord whisper something that really grabbed my attention.  He said something like the following:

"Sam, the reflection was about My desire to have relationship with You!  Put down Your phone!  You were so busy with the reflection and all the other things, You missed what I was trying to say!  I want to spend time with You!"

I immediately saw a picture in my mind of dinners where my honey and I will sit and talk, and then one of us will get a text or something and we will pul out the phone, basically ignoring the person we love, sitting across the table, to interact with the phone.  As I saw that and reflected on how that makes me feel, I felt the Lord say,

"Yes, that is exactly how it feels for me!  I want your focus, your interaction, your relationship.  I desire you to be able to hear my voice, to experience my presence, and to interact with you, and it is hard to do when you are all distracted!"

It wasn't a harsh rebuke, just a gentle reminder of God's desire for relationship with me!  I was quite surprised by my own think-headedness!  Here the Lord was talking about our relationship and I was all business as usual, totally missing the point!  Geeezzz!  I think He actually thought it was a bit humorous, how oblivious I was to what He was actually saying!
 
Anyway, suffice it to say that I was very motivated today to put down my phone and just be with the Lord!  He deserves all my attention!  Lord, forgive me for my distractedness and taking our time so lightly.

I am also encouraged to put down my phone  when I am with my honey, or my kids or family.  They all deserve my full attention!

Amen and Amen!