The Danger of Distraction!
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your trust be evident to all. The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7).
Lord, I must avoid at all times the danger of distraction. What I do on earth echoes throughout eternity. The lives I touch and do not touch are usually due to being distracted by other things that blur my true mission in life. The Lord God knows how easy it is for us to be sidetracked from His will in our daily lives. Sometimes my little kingdom totters, my family convulses, and my mind staggers to the edge. Then I must be still and know that God is God. He must be my only refuge, my rock, my defense, and my fortress.
I must avoid running to Egypt which symbolizes the world for help. This is what Israel did when confronted by a fearsome foe (Isaiah 30:1-2). The trouble with running to the world (Egypt) s that it is a “little help”, and a little help can become a wholesale disaster. It is better to trust the Lord fully, and be completely delivered (vv12-13). Egypt was an illusion, a paper tiger, a tree inwardly eaten by worms. She looked formidable, but her looks were deceiving. She had glamour but no strength. If Israel (or I) trust in Egypt, it will become a “shame and …confusion” to me and whoever I touch (v3 KJV).
How often in my desperation have I looked to a person of wealth, so called possessing wisdom and knowledge, maturity and experience and said, “you are my deliverer”, only to discover the wealth, wisdom, and maturity were nothing more than cold ashes. There was no help whatsoever! I was driven in humiliation back to the source of my strength and wisdom, back to God and His everlasting arms.
It is not acting in faith when we have moments of running to Egypt and is certainly a sin to rest my weight and security upon Egypt, rather relying on God. To “be still” means to “relax”, but I must relax upon the solid rock of Jesus and His word. This is not a trust upon the shifting sands of trusting Egypt. Relaxing on Jesus and His word is like Nahum stated, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him. (Nahum 1:7).