OUR DAILY BREAD : DEALING WITH DISTRACTIONS

[cimi]

Speaking of distractions, looks like I accidentally Posted the wrong Daily Bread last night. I was taking care of my oh- so- adorable grandson and wasn't thinking. Looks like someone needed to hear it though, judging from the response, so I'll chalk this one up to a God thing. Now on to TODAY'S Daily Bread:}

November 21
Friday



DEALING WITH
DISTRACTIONS

READ:
Matthew 13:14-22
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The cares of this world
...choke the word.
__Matthew 13:22
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A restaurant owner in the village of Abu Ghosh, just outside Jerusalem, offered a 50-cent discount for
patrons who turned off their cell phones. Jawdat Ibrahim believes that smartphones have shifted the focus of meals from companionship and conversation to surfing, texting, and business calls. "Technology is very good," Ibrahim says. "But...when you are with your family and your friends, you can just wait for half an hour and enjoy the food and enjoy the company."

How easily we can be distracted by many things, whether in our relationship with others or with the Lord.

Jesus told His followers that spiritual distraction begins with hearts that have grown dull, ears that are hard of hearing, and eyes that are closed (Matt. 13:15). Using the illustration of a farmer scattering seed, Jesus compared the seed that fell among thorns to a person who hears God's Word but whose heart is focused on other things. "The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful" (v.22).

There is great value in having times throughout each day when we turn off the distractions of mind and heart and focus on the Lord. __David McCasland

```````````````````O Lord, help me to turn off all the````````````````````
````````````````distractions around me and focus on You.`````````````````
````````````````May my heart be good soil for the seed``````````````````
````````````````````````of Your Word today.``````````````````````````
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Focusing on christ puts everything else in perspective.

*****************************Today's Bible Reading __ Matthew 13:14-22*******************************
14 And in them the
prophecy of Isaiah is
fulfilled, which says:

"Hearing you will hear and
shall not understand, and
seeing you will see and not
percieve; 15 for the hearts
of this people have grown
dull. Their ears are hard of
hearing, and their eyes
they have closed, lest they
should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears,
lest they should understand
with their hearts and turn,
so that I should heal
them."

16 But blessed are your
ears for they hear; 17 for
assuredly, I say to you that
many prophets and
righteous men desired to
see what you see, and did
not see it, and to hear
what you hear, and did not
hear it.

18 Therefore hear the
parable of the sower;

19 When anyone hears the
word of the kingdom, and
does not understand it,
then the wicked one comes
and snatches away what
was sown in his heart. This
is he who received seed by
the wayside. 20 But he who
received the seed on stony
places, this is he who hears
the word and immediately
receives it with joy; 21 yet
he has no root in himself,
but endures only for a
while. For when tribulation
or persecution arises
because of the word,
immediately he stumbles.

22 Now he who received
seed among the thorns is
he who hears the word,
and the cares of this world
and the deceitfulness of
riches choke the word, and
he becomes unfruitful.