When our kids were young, we took a trip to northern Wisconsin to visit my grandparents. They didn\u2019t get very good reception on their television, but TV wasn\u2019t much of a priority with them. After I had seen our son Scott fiddling with the TV set for a while, he asked with frustration, \u201cWhat do you do if you can get only one channel and you don\u2019t like what\u2019s on that one?\u201d \u201cTry turning it off, \u201d I said with a smile. Not exactly the advice he was hoping for. It\u2019s even more difficult to do now, especially when there are so many devices that entertain, inform, and distract us.<\/span><\/p>\n Sometimes we do need to just turn it all off and rest our minds for a little while; we simply need to \u201cunplug.\u201d Jesus often drew aside for a time\u2014especially when He wanted to take time to pray (Matt. 14:13). He encouraged the disciples to step away as well\u2014even for a brief time (Mark 6:31). That kind of solitude and time for reflection is beneficial for each of us. In those moments we are able to draw near to God.<\/span><\/p>\n Follow the example and wisdom of Christ. Get away by yourself and \u201crest a while.\u201d It will be good for your body, mind, and spirit.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Lord, help me to seek those things which are from above. I want to turn off all that distracts me and draw near to You.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Turning down the volume of life allows you to listen carefully to God.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Oswald Chambers, in his “My Utmost for His Highest” devotional for January 13<\/a><\/span>, wrote the following (commenting on Mark 4:10)…<\/p>\n As you journey with God, the only thing He intends to be clear is the way He deals with your soul. The sorrows and difficulties in the lives of others will be absolutely confusing to you. We think we understand another person\u2019s struggle until God reveals the same shortcomings in our lives. <\/span><\/p>\n There are vast areas of stubbornness and ignorance the Holy Spirit has to reveal in each of us, but it can only be done when Jesus gets us alone. Are we alone with Him now? Or are we more concerned with our own ideas, friendships<\/span>, and cares for our bodies? Jesus cannot teach us anything until we quiet all our intellectual questions and get alone with Him.<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n Do you ever get a chance to be quiet and alone with God? Or do phone and facebook crowd out God and deprive you of a chance to grow?<\/p>\n So every once in a while, try turning off the computer. Spend some quiet time in prayer or in reading the Bible. Gaze on the clear blue sky or look at a flower and reflect on the beauty of God’s creation. Get alone with God! Those quiet moments will bring you much more joy than the occasional “new friend” or “like” or “re-tweet.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n + + + + + + + + +<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n For more Signboard messages, click the following button: Signboard Messages<\/span>![\"television-144961_600x\"](\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Signboard-i-Pray-2015-09-04-_IMG_2369.jpg\")
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I-PHONE? I-PAD?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n I PRAY!!!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n Do we get so caught up in our gadgets that we forget to pray? Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are But don’t we do the same thing with (to?) God? Do we turn to Google for answers instead of to God? Do we escape from the difficulties in life by going to YouTube instead of taking them to the Lord in prayer?<\/p>\n<\/a>great ways to keep in touch with friends across the miles. But we’ve all heard stories (and have seen it first hand) when members of a family in a restaurant sit around the table staring at their smartphones instead of talking to each other. We waste chances to share with each other and to grow in our personal relationships so we can post a picture of our meal on Facebook.<\/p>\n