Distracted at the Cross | Restoring Warriors Daily Devotional | Matthew 27:35-36

Are you so focused on the temporary that you’re missing the eternal? In today’s devotion, we look at the soldiers at the foot of the cross—men who were physically close to Jesus but spiritually distracted, gambling for clothes while the Son of God accomplished the greatest act of love in history.

It’s a powerful reminder that we can be "around" Jesus without actually being "with" Him. Whether it's our careers, hobbies, or the daily grind, it’s easy to let temporary pursuits steal our focus from what matters most.

Join us as we reflect on Matthew 27:35-36 and challenge ourselves to prioritize our relationship with Christ above all else.

In this video:
Scripture: Matthew 27:35-36
Reflection: Why our natural drive to "build and accomplish" can become a distraction.
Daily Challenge: A practical step to prioritize your time with God today.
Reflection Question: What temporary pursuit has been competing for your attention and distracting you from spending time with Jesus?

Let’s commit to keeping our eyes fixed on what truly lasts.

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Transcript

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And they were busy gambling over his clothes. Their eyes were fixed on something that was temporary. Hey, welcome back to the Restoring Warriors Daily Devotional, where every day we pursue men to boldly chase the calling that God has placed on their lives. All right, we have a six-week program here at Restoring Warriors. We call it the Warrior Path. And what it is is a six-week journey as we go through the book of Ephesians and break it down chapter by chapter, verse by verse in a daily Bible study, journaling study. There's some daily challenges involved, some scripture reading through the gospels. We also look at our things that are honoring to our temple, such as the food we ingest, the water that we drink. We have a regimented fitness program that we follow as well. It's really designed to lay foundational principles into your life that help you pursue a more fruitful and intentional relationship with Jesus. We'd love to have you join us on our next installment. It starts July 27th. You can register or give more information or both at restoringwarriors.com. Click on the warrior path tab, and it will proceed from there. All right, let's dive back in. We're in Matthew 27, verses 35 and 36 today, where it says this when they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Alright, so talking about the Roman soldiers here, they stood closer to Jesus than almost anyone else on earth that day. They were right there next to him while he hung on the cross. Yet they completely missed who he was. All right, as the Son of God was accomplishing the greatest act of love that human history has ever seen. They were busy gambling over his clothes. Their eyes were fixed on something that was temporary, while eternity quite literally hung right in front of them. And it's easy to read this account and wonder to ourselves, man, how could they be so blind? But we're often guilty of the same thing in our own lives. We can be so consumed with building our careers, chasing financial success, scrolling our phones, pursuing hobbies, or even staying busy with ministry that we neglect the one those things should point us to. The one that those things should point us to. We can be totally guilty of being around Jesus without truly being with Jesus. And as men, we're wired to pursue, we're wired to build, and we're wired to accomplish things, right? And those are good gifts from God. Those are gifts that He gave us, man. But they become dangerous when they distract us from our relationship with Him. All right. The enemy doesn't always have to pull us into blatant sin. No, sometimes He just needs to simply keep us busy enough to miss what matters most, to miss what's going on around us. The soldiers left that day with a couple extra pieces of clothing. They unknowingly walked away from the greatest treasure that they would ever encounter in their entire lives. So don't make the same trade, fellas. Everything in this world. So don't make that same trade, guys. Everything that this world offers eventually fades. But knowing Christ is the one pursuit that will last forever. Alright, so I want to hit you with a daily challenge today, and it's this before you tackle your to-do list today, spend 15 uninterrupted minutes with Jesus in his word and through prayer. Let him have your first fruits, your first attention. Don't give him your leftovers. Now let's pray. Father, forgive me for the times that I've allowed temporary things to steal my focus from you. Lord, help me, help me keep my eyes on you, help me pursue you above everything else. Remind me that nothing this world offers can compare to knowing Christ. Lord, keep my eyes fixed on what's eternal. It's in the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Hey, thank you for tuning in today. If you were encouraged by this devotional, I encourage you, send it off to a friend. Make sure you like, make sure you leave a comment, make sure you subscribe. All that helps us in the algorithms, helps us push the gospel to more and more people every day. It's an absolute pleasure doing ministry with you every day. Can't wait to see it on the next one.