The world is full of distractions. It’s almost as if satan keeps us ‘filled up’ with busy work to keep us wary, busy, and distracted thus keeping our eyes off God. The number one distraction in most of the lives of the people of this world is both our phones, computer’s second, TV third. Keep your eyes on God, folks!! We’re being distracted by the allusions of this world!
I liken our phone’s to the image of the beast. What other object draws our eyes and minds day in and day out, hour after hour? What other tool distracts us and keeps our eyes focused and off of God almost every waking moment? (I’m talking to all of us, even us who spend hours in Christian groups, feasting on the Word and sharing and learning together…)
Psalm 46:10King James Version
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
It is indeed, an image.. an image that speaks. “And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.” (Revelation 13:15)
Even before Covid, people would discuss how kids would get together and dine at restaurants yet spend the whole time staring at their phones. The images sucking us in with games, apps, and busying our minds day in and day out, keeping our minds off God, keeping our minds from being still, activating and exciting our minds so that we don’t sleep well, we have headaches, we become irritable. Studies have shown that too much screen time interferes with a child’s development. What are we doing to our kids? What are we doing to ourselves? Where is the quiet time that we put our focus on God, being still, waiting to hear His voice?
I’m not saying that our phones/screens are indeed the image of the beast but it does make me pause. It IS a possibility and something to at least think about as the mark being on our hand represents action while being on our forehead represents believe or the mind. If we’re holding our screens to our face all the time we are certainly using our hands/action and our mind/forehead. It does indeed keep our minds stimulated and not still. Keep in mind too that tech is rapidly developing and there are plans to merge man with machine and tech to link us to the computer/phones so we’d be constantly plugged in and stimulated even more than we are now. Might seem neat on paper but what is it truly doing to us? What would God think about this?
God says during the last days it will be like in Noah’s days where they were eating and drinking, giving in marriage and going about life as we know it. For most, it will come as a thief in the night. Those who keep their eyes on God, it will not come as a thief as we will know the season is near, even at the door. Most of us are waiting on the book of Revelation thinking everything will be observed and we have time. But do we? If it could come as a thief, if it can be like in Noah’s time where life went on like usual, if it could come without observation….. Something to think about as our minds are being distracted and we argue over the details of His coming.
Revelation 3:3 3Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Matthew 24:42-44 42“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your LORD will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Luke 17:26-27 26“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
Matthew 24:37-39 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
I know we have the book of Revelation for prophesy of what’s to come but it does not escape my mind that it will be like the days of Noah and the day will come like a thief to many… if that’s the case, we might not have all the outward signs we’re looking for. Just something to ponder which is why it’s so important to keep our eyes on God and to watch, wait, and be ready always. Put on the armor of God as instructed. Luke 21:34-36 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Keep watching. John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
https://hms.harvard.edu/news/screen-time-brain
The Coming Merger of Man & Machine: Ark Midnight & Level9News
https://www.foxnews.com/tech/humans-merge-with-machines
tearydawn 
Great post! Keep it up!
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