David Lee Martin

Some people make the mistake of thinking that you need to learn EVERYTHING to do ANYTHING.

And end up doing NOTHING.

Overwhelm is a real thing, especially in our information saturated world.

I have a better way to suggest, one prompted by a beautiful verse tucked snuggly in the book of Proverbs.

“…knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.” (Proverbs 14:6 KJV)

Grab hold of that word, “easy”.

When forward motion becomes burdensome, when complexity clouds your way, ask with honest humility, “How can this be easy?”

That tiny word has a little constellation of meanings in the original Hebrew, one of which is “sharp”.

Like a knife through butter, or a honed axe through bark.

As Solomon so wisely said elsewhere:

“If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.” (Ecclesiastes 10:10 NKJV)

You don’t need to know the end from the beginning before you get started.

Just the basics, sharpened hard.

Begin.

And learn, grow and sharpen your skills as you go.

Imperfect action will always win endless research every time!

Private prayer is the place of revelation.

Why?

Because it pulls back the cover and unveils who you really are.

You cannot playact in prayer.

There’s no one here to emulate or impress.

Just you

+ nothing.

And that, friend, is the most beautiful place on earth.

With empty hands and an open heart before the maker of the universe, in naked simplicity.

Personal agendas don’t work in this office.

Lobbying is laughable in these courts.

Leave ambition at the door.

And let your tears flow as you realise how loved you are

+ nothing.

Every so often, a word or phrase will catch my eye.

Like a vintage wine, it begs to be appreciated, not glossed over.

God’s words are not fast food, they’re meant to be savoured.

One sticky phrase that has been swilling in my spirit this week is, “the root of the righteous”.

“No one is established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved.” (Proverbs 12:3 ESV)

“Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers, but the root of the righteous bears fruit.” (Proverbs 12:12 ESV)

Remember the parable?

The sower sows the Word, but only the deep receiving heart holds to its transforming power.

The invisible root of righteousness reaching down to the depths of your spirit is the sustaining force that soon pushes through the surface to bear rich fruit.

Do not “covet the spoil of evildoers” or “desire the booty of evil men”.

The feeds on your phone are the foil for the real thing.

Full of exaggerated promises and pathways to satisfied desires, their falsity stands in contrast to the reality of life lived in contented fellowship with the Father.

“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6–7 KJV)

Selah.

Some see a devil (or ten) behind every bush.

The lens through which they look at life is one of unrelenting combat with a tireless enemy.

But I’ve come to recognise that the devil’s job is often far easier than we suppose.

The devil is not your greatest enemy.

Distraction is.

This is the perfect example that everyone is talking about it > Click here

Let’s face it, if satan can’t get you to sin, he’ll simply supply the means to fritter your days away with countless distractions.

Frittered not fruitful.

Playing not praying.

Dopamine on demand is the taskmaster in your pocket.

Scrolling has become the new smoking.

Even in King David’s day, he realised the brevity of life:

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12 KJV)

Wisdom is not found in the busyness, it’s discovered when we are fiercely guarded with our time.

Dedicate your days to fruitful pursuits.

Spend your minutes making.

Ever be creating, not consuming.

Here’s a link I think you’ll like (and this one’s not a gotcha)…

https://www.champlinks.com/sl/unplug/

Your fellow recovering distractee,

David

I tend to run off in all directions. Like a river breaking its banks, my mind wants to flood the plains of opportunity.

But I’ve found building clear conduits is the best way to progress.

Build banks around your energy so it doesn’t bleed out.

Spilling wide has been far less effective for me than fierce focused action in one direction.

Fierce focused action in one direction over time.

Four key factors lean in and lead to results.

• Focus
• Action
• Direction (only one!)
• Time

= A powerful recipe for progress.

Tomorrow I will share what I believe is your biggest enemy (and it’s not the devil!).