Oceans in the Desert

By Kathi Pelton

As I was surveying the current state of the world around us, I was struck by the reality of the vast amount of distractions that have pulled on our “affections” prior to this Covid-19 quarantine.

From the activities of going to a restaurant for a meal– to seeing a movie– to shopping for one more thing– to attending a sports event(or watching one on TV)– we are constantly having our time filled with things that entertain and comfort us. Even Christian conferences, concerts and events have become a form of entertainment that has consumed the affections of many believers.

But suddenly they have all been removed. As I was pondering the issue of how all of these things that pull on our affections and how they have suddenly been removed I had a quick vision of idols falling. I don’t think that most people set out to or intentionally make any of these things idols but anything that exults itself above Christ or is vying for our attention and affections above God becomes an idol.

God, in His mercy, is aligning!

Prophetic voices have been prophesying “alignment” for a long time. We’ve been taking about the plumb line of God coming to align His people. It’s been happening on a small scale but not like we’d hoped or like we could see in the spirit. Now, suddenly it’s happening. We now can see the pull that these other things have had upon our affections— yes, even conferences and ministry events.

Are they bad? NO! Of course not. They are wonderful gifts but they were never meant to replace the personal, face to face time with our God. But if they become the focus of our affections that have replaced personal time with God and time in His Word then alignment is needed.

I remember when my husband and I had young children we felt to turn off cable and get rid of our TV because it had become a distraction to true face to face family time. The first week of its absence was like “going through withdrawals!” It had become the background noise in our home and it called for our attention to be turned toward it all the time. After that first week we adjusted and began spending greater quality time with God and with one another. Alignment took place in our family. We removed the thing that was becoming an idol because it was demanding our affections. Our souls wanted to be appeased which left our spirits malnourished.

As we go through this time let’s begin to take personal inventory of those things that have been removed that pull for our affections even more than God. We can repent and ask for alignment so that when these things are once again available we will live in alignment and balance. Let’s not have this crisis be a “mere moment” of sobriety from things that have become idols or distractions that have gained our affections above the Lord.

Ask the Holy Spirit to realign your priorities and the affections of your heart and soul. This truly is a moment in time that we are “coming back to our senses!”

I also want to encourage you to get face to face with your family members; those who are closed in with you! Let God rekindle the love between you and your spouse and let this be a time of restoration between parents and children. Share your hearts, carve out time that you walk together, play together, talk together and even heal together.

Let’s see our affections redeemed and those things that have become idols fall. Soon we will be able to eat out, see a movie, enjoy a sports event or attend a Christian gathering but let’s never again allow these thing to have a higher place then Jesus! May His throne in our private lives have the highest place!

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