“…ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” Mt. 16:1-4
The devil is a master of distraction. If he can get you to focus on the shifting sands, and the currents and trends of this world, he knows you’ll be looking at your problems instead of the answers. Those answers are in the promises of God that have already been given to us who have been born again. Those promises and benefits of the New Testament were already placed under our authority when Jesus rose from the dead.
The first four verses of Matthew 16 give us powerful insights into the deceptive tactics of the enemy, especially how he uses religion to blind people from the truth. These religious leaders, the Pharisees, and Sadducees, came to Jesus demanding Him to show them a sign from heaven to prove He was the Messiah. The devil had already demanded the same thing from Him in the wilderness, so we know who was influencing these religious leaders. Little did they know that they were looking directly into the face of the greatest sign from heaven that was ever given to them – The Word made Flesh! Yet, they didn’t recognize Him. They were too busy trying to read the face and climate of the people, and therefore, could not read the Sign of the times!
With everything that’s going on in the world today it’s easy to allow the enemy’s distractions to dictate, and cause us to be fearful: politics, investigations, hearings, wars and rumors of wars, medical and climate Marxism – you name it, it’s out there! But focusing on all the moving parts will never solve any problems. The answer to everything dwells inside us. He is our High Priest, our Advocate, our Lord and our Shepherd; He is our Apostle and High Priest! And He speaks louder than the world’s currents if we are listening. How many times did Jesus tell us to listen? “He said He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
If anything, the shifting sands of change really serve to reveal all that is unchanging, the Word of God, the Person of Jesus (Heb. 13:8). The more the standards and morals of the world disintegrate, the more the Words of Jesus are validated! If we are looking expectantly to the answers and promises of God, rather than focusing on the problems and distractions, we will see the words of Jesus emerge as the only true and gracious Hope.
If you can discern the face of the weather, you can discern the signs of the times! It’s simply a matter of getting honest with yourself and with God. He loves you. He has a plan and purpose for you. Keep your focus on that, and everything else will become clear, and you will be free from distractions!
With Love,
Pastor Tom
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