God has the best path for our lives. It’s filled with opportunity, joy, favour and protection, but along the way, there will be forces trying to get us distracted through different ways to make sure we don’t fulfil God’s best for our lives… The scripture says “Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission?” Lamentation 3:37
The enemy cannot stop God’s best in your life, but if he can get you distracted, entangled, fighting battles that don’t matter, busy doing good things, but not the best, then he can keep you from God’s best. The scripture says, “Ponder the path of your feet And let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil. (proverbs 4:26-27)
God knew there would be all these opportunities to get you distracted. If you are going to receive God’s best, you have to recognize what is a distraction and what’s important, what you should spend your time with, what is valuable, what is making you better, causing you to grow, and what is dragging you down and causing you to compromise.
The scripture says “Make the most of your time”. Not living vague, but with purpose in every step. Time is one of the most valuable things that you have. Once we live this day, you can never get it back. Just like you spend your money, you are spending your time, but your time is more valuable than money. You can make more money, but you can’t make more time. (Ephesians 5:15-16)
In the scripture, Samson’s birth was prophesied by the prophets. His mother was barren, and an angel appeared and said she would bear a son, and he would lead the Israelites, and that his hair was never to be cut. The long hair was a sign that he was dedicated to God. She gave birth to Samson, I can imagine as a little boy she told him, “Samson, there is a calling on your life.
Angel appeared to me, you are going to do something great”. He had heard this since he was a child. One time when he was a young man, he was walking down a road and this lion attacked him. The scripture says, “The spirit of the Lord powerfully took control of him, he ripped the lion apart with his bare hands”. (Judge 14:6)
You would think Samson, since he had this supernatural strength, and he had heard about the angel prophesied his birth, would go out of his way to make good decisions and be responsible with what God had given him. But he let his guard down and started hanging around the wrong people.
This led to all kinds of conflict: he killed a thousand Philistines, tore the gates of the city and carried them off, they couldn’t figure out how to stop him. He fell in love with a Philistine woman named Delilah. She kept asking him the secret of his power… And she nagged him continuously!
Samson finally gave in and revealed the secret of his power. The Philistines cut his hair while he was sleeping. They came to capture him, and he stood up ready to fight like he always did, but this time there was no supernatural strength, no power to overcome. He had lost what God had given him. (Judges 16:4-22)
The scripture says “I do not frustrate the grace of God”. God will never run out of grace, never run out of mercy, but if you take it for granted, it may not be there in the same way… Samson’s story is not in the scripture to depress us, it has a better ending. It’s there to challenge us to make certain corrections. Pay attention to that still small voice, that thing that is bothering your conscience. (Galatians 2:21)
You know that friends are not good for you, you need to spend more time with your children, and less time on the phone or computer. You need to ignore that coworker or neighbour that gets on your nerves, and not let it upset you every day. We don’t have time to be distracted. We have God’s best to fulfil in our lives and around us.
Samson didn’t fulfil God’s best; having his eyes gouged out, grinding at the mill, and the enemy making fun of him was not God’s best. I don’t want us to come to the end of life and be like Samson, “Man, I made it, but we are beaten up: broke, addicted, lonely”. That’s not your destiny. Samson would have had a different story if he had not gotten distracted.
Let’s not be Samson; have all this talent, favour, and anointing, and then get distracted, and waste our time rather than invest it. If you will use what God has given you well, do you know what will happen? God will give you more. When He can trust you to be a good steward of your gifts, and your time, you stay focused, and you get rid of distractions, He will take you further than you have ever dreamed.
GEHAZI’S LESSON!
In the scripture, Elijah had an assistant named Elisha. He left his family business as a young man to serve Elijah. When Elijah was about to leave this earth, he asked Elisha what he wanted, Elisha said a double portion of his spirit and that he received. There are twice as many miracles recorded for Elisha than for Elijah. Well, Elisha had an assistant named Gehazi. He was next in line to do amazing things!
One day a captain of the Syrian army came to Elisha, he had leprosy. Elisha told him to go wash in the Jordan River seven times, he would be healed. When he did, his skin was perfectly normal. He came back to Elisha so grateful, so happy, he tried to pay him, do something to show his gratitude, but Elisha wouldn’t take it. He knew it was God that healed him and not him.
The captain pleaded with him, and said “Please, let me leave you some gold or silver, something to help you”. Again, Elisha refused. Gehazi was there overhearing all this. The captain and his entourage headed back home, Gehazi snuck out of the camp without Elisha knowing, and he caught up with them. They were surprised and asked, “Is all well”? He said, “All is well, but we had some unexpected guests”
Elisha changed his mind, he would like some of those gifts that you offered”. He got the money and came back to the house, thinking nobody knew anything, but God sees everything, He is the one that controls the universe. Promotion doesn’t come from people, it comes from God.
Elisha called him in and said, “Gehazi, where have you been”? He said, “Nowhere, just around” “Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? … the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow. (2 Kings 5:20-27)
We hear all about Elijah, and how great he was. Elisha or the miracles he performed. Gehazi was next in line. He should have had four times the anointing of Elijah, but he missed God’s best. Don’t allow distractions to keep you from fulfilling God’s best. Distraction can stop a divine destiny!
Gehazi thought, “Man, if I can just get a few of these gifts underhand, nobody knows and that will put me way ahead”, he didn’t realize God would have blessed him in much greater ways by being a person of honour, staying on that level of integrity. He exchanged God’s best with greed.
Don’t miss the person you could have been. Don’t miss the greatness God put in you and don’t miss God’s best because you got distracted with things of this world. (1 John 2:15-17) Listen to the still small voice. Pay attention when your conscience is bothered, and learn to deal with those things God brings to light. We are not going to be here forever, let’s make the most of each day.
Is there any area you need to make some corrections? Refusing to forgive, ignoring the voice of God, trying to prove your worth? Or like Samson, playing around with your gift? Don’t go another week like that. If you keep at it in a week, it will turn into a year… A year into 20 years. You can get back on course today.
God’s mercy and His grace are available, you just have to tap into it. If you do this, I decree and declare: that God is going to help you get the favour, the ability, the blessing back on the best path for your life. You will fulfil God’s best, and become all you were created to be, in Jesus’ name.
The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”’!
