“Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.-Psalm 119:37 (NLT)
We live in a restless agitated world where stillness is hard to come by. Distractions are all around us fighting for our attention.
With all our electronic devices, setting aside uninterrupted time focusing on God and His Word isn’t easy to do. Last month my Apple watch battery died. I have to be honest; that watch distracted me. It didn’t matter if I was in in an engaging conversation or having lunch, if it vibrated, I would look down at it.
My husband offered to replace it for my birthday, but I told him I really wanted it most to monitor my heart rate when I was working out. I had been thinking about switching to a smart ring. It can do that without the added distractions of the watch.
A bonus was we had just enough money left in our FSA health spending account for me to get one. Other than me missing the “find my phone” option on the Apple watch, I am not wishing I still had it.
I was sad when I saw I had missed a FaceTime call from my son in Japan Thursday evening. I didn’t have a watch to vibrate to notify me he was calling. However, we were also having dinner with friends.
Even though they would have understood me taking that call, how rude that would have been for me to do that. I was able to enjoy that call the next evening in the quiet of our home. I can now see how that watch was not only interfering with my social interactions but also during my morning quiet time.
I intermittently would sleep with it. On the mornings I didn’t, it would stay on my charger. However, if I woke up with it on, it continued with me in my morning routine. This meant I would get easily distracted by the endless notifications on my phone. The enemy is going to do whatever he can to keep us from spending undevoted quiet time with our Lord and Savior.
At the time my watch quit working, I wasn’t happy about it, but now I see it as a blessing in disguise. It opened my eyes to how it was more of a hinderance than a help. I am back to wearing my analog watch my dad got for me the birthday after my first husband’s death. A sweet reminder of him when I look at it as well.
I am looking forward to see how this is going to enrich 2026 for me. Yes, I may miss some phone calls, but spending focused time with God, family and friends will bring more blessings to my life.
Father God,
I pray Psalm 119:37 over my life; Turn my eyes from worthless things and give me life through Your Word. Forgive me when I let distractions keep me from spending devoted time with You. Thank You for removing things in my life that were hindering my quiet moments in Your presence. Open eyes to where electronic devices may be hindering their time with You and those around them. I pray these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
January Verse
“I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me.”—Proverbs 8:17(NLT)
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