Focus on the Lord - His View Is Magnificent

Little children are so eager to see the world around them. And yet, they have such problems focusing on things that you try to show them. Yesterday evening I was watching one grandson at soccer practice. Two airplanes flew overhead and his little brother heard it. But we could not get him to look in the right direction. Finally I asked him to look where I was pointing. At last he saw the plane. But when it was right over our heads he just couldn’t see it.

We’re like that aren’t we? We have a hard time focusing on the right stuff. We read the Word and we know it’s true but we keep looking at the circumstances instead. We hear God speak to our hearts but we feel the rejection and lose sight of His constant acceptance.

We see problems, God sees plans. We see rejection, God sees connection. We see troubles, God sees opportunities.  God is the light at the end of our tunnel but we get downhearted and truly believe it’s a freight train. Fear starts to take over and pretty soon we’re sidelined. Worry keeps a guard at our hopes and we just give up. Discouragement orders us around like a soldier in a concentration camp.  “You will NOT make it out of this situation you must remain this way forever”.  Pretty soon we have traded all our spiritual knowledge for fleshly misinformation. We are worn out and done in. Hope has left and we can’t find it, even though we look far and wide. The focus is lost and we are unsure if we will ever see God’s presence in our life again.

Oh beloved, you are more than your circumstances! It’s time to focus back on the Lord and His Word. He has a wonderful plan for your life in spite of what you are seeing with the natural eye. Ask Joseph, who was sold by his brothers into slavery. Ask Daniel, who spent time staring down lions in a dungeon. Ask Hannah, who was humiliated because she couldn’t have a baby. Ask Jesus Himself, who was despised, rejected and ultimately crucified. These, along with the entire council of the Word of God are the ones who teach you how to focus rightly even when it all looks blurry and the clouds have settled in and your mind says give up.

Focus on the Lord! Rehearse the promises of God! Rejoice in who you are in Christ! Remember the Truth and discard the lies, for you are not living in your present circumstances forever. You are a Warrior Princess of the Most High God!  You are redeemed from the law of sin and death. You are a Kingdom seeker and a Word believer! You are going through! You are overcoming! You are stepping from one glory stone to the next! You are seeing the Truth and breaking forth into joy! For beloved, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you!  Get your eyes back on the prize and remember, regard and repeat all the blessings that come beyond the momentary, light afflictions.  It does not matter what you’ve seen, what you’ve been through, not even the past mistakes and future fears, for God is with you! He is your Guardian and your Champion and together with Him you are going to live in the light of His Word.

He loves you and He’s for you and that’s worth focusing on every day of your life and all the way to heaven!

I John 5:4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.

Psalm 98:1 Sing a new song to the Lord, for He has done wonderful deeds.  His right hand has won a mighty victory; His holy arm has shown His saving power!

2 Corinthians 4:18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Psalm 123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the Lord our God, Until He is gracious to us. Amplified

Micah 7:7 But as for me, I will look to the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch; I will wait with hope and expectancy for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Amplified

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

Psalm 37:3 Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

What's That Problem? Not a Disability!

A friend of ours has been dealing with issues arising from an accident that happened last fall. We talked recently and if he doesn’t get released from the doctor soon he may lose his job permanently. He doesn’t want to take disability. He enjoys working and providing for his family. But it may be forced on him anyway. We can’t plan our accidents. If we could most of us wouldn’t have them for accidents usually have some long ranging residual effects. Many of you can relate.

There are things that happen in life that we cannot do a thing about. We don’t choose the accidents that occur to us or around us. Nobody wakes up hoping for disaster. Of course not. We’re always caught unaware. We want to think the best, believe the best, hope the best.

But the situations, the accidents, happen nonetheless. And those situations can be used against us. The enemy of our souls wants to disable us spiritually. He wants us to believe that the accident is a totally disabling situation. He wants us to think that a broken heart means persistent depression. Or he wants us to believe that a lost job means we’ll be destitute always. He’ll whisper his not so sweet nothings into our ears through the rejection of others or the pronouncement of circumstances beyond our control.

If he can succeed, we will be permanently disabled. The mishaps of life compounded by the enemy’s lies means total disability. And that’s right where he wants all of us. A disabled Christian is very important this day and time. Disabled Christians can’t and won’t pray. Disabled Christians can’t quote scripture. Disabled Christians can’t overcome. Disabled believers are sidelined simply by the response to their circumstances.

We as believers do not have to accept the diagnosis of the enemy over our lives. Yes, there are going to be major collisions. There are going to be rejections, disappointments, disasters, and troubles. But our response to them makes all the difference on whether they become a millstone around our necks or a stepping stone to greater heights with Christ.

Oh beloved, are you feeling the effects of disability in your heart, mind or spirit? Have things gotten to you? Are you sinking in the quicksand of a misdiagnosis? Grab hold of Jesus! Has someone pronounced doom and gloom over you? Are you feeling the effects of injury to your heart and your spirit? Listen to the Lord. He is speaking His truth over your life as the Angel of the Lord encamps around you. No weapon formed against you will prosper. It’s time to refocus your attention away from injuries and onto the Lord! You are blessed, redeemed, and victorious. You are walking in the light of God’s Word and as you speak His Word over your life, the things that seem to control you and disable you will fall away. God’s Word is True. No one else can pronounce you unfit, unworthy or unusable. Your calling is without repentance and your worthiness is based solely on the Blood of the Lamb!

Rejoice, beloved, for God loves you and He’s for you and that keeps you able to walk in the light of His glory and grace!

Hebrews 12:2 Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Amplified

Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their vindication is from Me,” declares the Lord.

Psalm 138:3 On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.

Isaiah 26:3-4 The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.

Change Your Focus and Start Looking Up

 

Several months ago our oldest daughter told me that I needed to look at the clouds with my binoculars. She said that looking at them was like looking at a 3D photo. She said it was almost a spiritual experience for her.

I have tried to remember to try it, but I stay so busy that I remember the idea when I’m in the bed or in the car and couldn’t act on it. Finally yesterday morning I got outside with my binoculars to try it. The only problem was that the sky was a clear blue, not a cloud in sight. So I began to look around. I focused on tree trunks and fallen limbs. I looked and saw what I thought was a small fawn but when I focused better it was simply a clump of dead leaves. I saw a spot on the siding of our house that needs repair. I saw a broken brick in the yard. Everywhere I focused on the things around me I saw something wrong. I decided to go inside and try again later. Too many things around me looked decayed, dilapidated and disheartening.

I hear God speaking to my heart, through the binoculars and through the words of a dear, dear friend, who had texted me earlier that morning, “Quit looking at the things around you. Start looking up.”

You see beloved when we walk with God we have a beautiful world to look at. But sometimes that world gets distorted. Others disappoint us, fail us, dismiss us. We too get our focus on the wrong thing. We want accolades, God gives opportunities. We want commendation, God allows humiliation. We keep looking at the things going on around us and at the people around us and we get upset. We get to thinking about our present suffering. We’re hurting and we don’t like it. Others are uplifted and we are pushed down. We get frantic and will continue to spiral into more and more agony as long as we focus on the things around us.

We pray and we ask God to change things. Then He speaks and He says change your focus. Quit looking around and start looking up.

Oh beloved, God is speaking to your heart. When you look up into My Eyes you will focus on Me. When you are focused on Me you will walk in security and faith like you’ve never known. The Look Up is magnificent even when the look around is discouraging. The look into My eyes reveals My heart about you. The look around is confusing. You may see how others feel about you and mistake that for My feelings. You may see problems like finances, health and heartache when you look around and mistake those circumstances for my condemnation of you. But when you look at Me you will see that even when you are going through “things” I AM in the process of making all things work together for your good.

I am praying that I will focus only on the Lord. Won’t you look to Him as well? His promises for me and for you are that He loves us and He’s for us and that’s all we’ll ever need to focus on between now and heaven to find our peace, our joy and our calling.

Psalm 145:15 The eyes of all wait for You [looking, watching, and expecting] and You give them their food in due season. AMP

Isaiah 17:7 Then at last the people will look to their Creator and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.

Micah 7:7 As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.

Hebrews 11:27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the One who is invisible.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all! NAS

How's the Garden of Your Heart This Morning?

This is the time of year we see a lot of plant problems in our office. People bring in their sickly items and one of our agriculture agents will attempt to diagnose the problem. Sometimes we have to send off the plant sample to the disease lab. They are specialists at diagnosing problems including diseases and insects.

Today we had a tomato sample, a worm identification, two grass samples and a tree sample. The roots of grass from one home’s lawn were completely rotted away. The grass was turning yellow and the entire yard was dying. It had started out in small patches, but over the course of several weeks it had overtaken all the grass.

Insects eat away at healthy tissue until there’s nothing left. If they nibble at the fruit of a plant, the fruit becomes inedible – unusable. If the roots of the grass or other plant are affected by disease, then no nutrients can enter into the green leaves. Without proper nutrition everything dies.

Our faith is a like a plant. Unless our roots are strong and healthy, they cannot extend deep into the soil. If they don’t extend deep enough, then shallow living is what you have. And shallow living makes for problems.

Problems and trials are a lot like worms in the garden. If left unattended we lose the fruit of our lives and faith is eaten away. Once our faith is compromised, we have little hope of producing for the Kingdom.

As believers we must spend time tending the garden of our faith. At the first sign of trouble it’s imperative that we seek the wisdom of the Lord. The quicker we bring our problems to Him, the easier they are to diagnose and repair. If we let it go, the diseases of this world will overtake us. We must also make sure to pick the worms that constantly want to eat away at our faith. Those pests are persistent, so we must always be on watch and always seek God’s help with our weaknesses. 

In this walk of faith, we often want to be so strong that we can handle it all, including the fruit pests and root problems everyone has. But real life in Christ doesn’t ignore our own weaknesses. It admits our need and lets God’s strength be ours. Without the Lord, we cannot hope to be cured and find strength to grow fresh and healthy fruit for the Kingdom.

Oh beloved, how’s the garden of your heart this morning? Are you weakening under the load of pests – the hurts, the sorrows, the fear? Is the fruit of the spirit being eaten away because you’re unable to handle all the problems yourself?  Run to the Lord this morning and let Him have your problems. He knows your weaknesses and He’s more than able to be strength for you! He knows your root problems and He’s able to cure them by His Holy Spirit. God will always be there to help you and never leave you to languish and die no matter what. Let Him dig deep to find the real problems and watch as your healing comes and your fruit returns in greater quantity and quality than you’ve ever dreamed!

God loves you so much that He’s made a way to give you everything you need for a fruitful, faithful life and He’s for you so that even when you get overtaken by pests, He’s there to remove the damages and restore the joy!

Philippians 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Colossians 1:10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Ephesians 3:16 I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit.

2 Peter 1:8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 92:12-14 But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.  For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God.  Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.