Having Trouble Keeping Your Eyes on the Lord?

 

Chameleons are one of the most interesting creatures God ever created. Most recognized for their ability to change colors depending on their surroundings, it’s amazing how they can go from deep green when on leaves to mottled brown when they’re on limbs or on the ground.

But the most fascinating thing to me about chameleons is their eyes. They can rotate and focus separately to observe two different objects simultaneously; their eyes move independently from each other. They can focus on two entirely different things at one time. This would probably be really helpful if they were looking for food and watching for predators.

God created humankind to have eyes that focus together. For us to have to look in two different directions would be hard, even chaotic. Our minds would continually try to decide what we were going to concentrate on.

God speaks to my heart. In order for us to focus on God we must keep our eyes on God. We cannot afford to look in two different directions. But truth be told, often we do just that. We look to the Lord for answers, but we are also looking at our problems, our troubles, our hurts, our fears and more. We have divided eyesight, which causes a divided heart. And a divided heart causes our faith to falter.

Have you been struggling with your vision? Have you tried to focus on the truth and at the same time keep looking to the problem? Have you tried walking in truth and yet you want to fix the problem yourself? Are you dizzy from the chaos of a divided heart and mind? For that which you focus on is where your heart and mind surely are. God’s Word says you will get through it, go beyond it or grow in it. But your eyes keep straying to the problem at hand.

Oh beloved, do you hear God whispering His love songs into your ear? He says to you this morning, beloved, look to Me. I AM the Lord. There is no other. I AM with you in your circumstances and I AM here to take you out of the chaos and mess and into My heart. In My heart there is peace in the midst of the storm, water in the midst of the drought, and warmth in the midst of the cold harsh realities of life. If you will put your eyes on Me, I will take you beyond the mundane to the magnificent. I will show you My abundance for you in your lack. I will give you My strength instead of your weakness.

Look to the Lord, concentrate on Him, give every situation to Him. When you focus solely on Him, not only do the problems get solved, you will experience His peace and joy.

God loves you, beloved, and He’s for you and that’s what really matters every day of your life.

Psalm 123:1 I lift my eyes to You, O God, enthroned in heaven.

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.

2 Samuel 22:31 God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection.

Jeremiah 32:27 I AM the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?

Prayer is the Ultimate Anti-Spyware

Over the week-end my computer got very slow. Even typing and using the word processor program got laborious. I did a system restore and that didn’t accomplish a thing. I also downloaded new spyware applications and got rid of a few spy programs that were hidden in the system. I finally changed the batteries in the wireless keyboard and mouse. It seemed to work a little better, but who knows which change made the difference? It wasn’t fast enough though. Finally I resorted to what I should have done first – I prayed! Yes, I prayed for me and my computer. I asked God to help because He knows the computer is important to me and I am important to Him. 

Pray for a computer you say? Pray for yourself? Yes! If you’re like me your time is valuable and short. There are many things vying for every hour of the day and if one thing runs down it all comes to a halt. So I prayed.  Spyware abounds everywhere. The enemy of our souls wants nothing better than to derail and dislodge our walk with God.  First he attempts to distract us with pressing events and issues. If that doesn’t work he’ll try to disarm and disengage us. His spyware is very sophisticated – so much so that we often don’t even see it until we’re bogged down with rage or fear or worry or frustration.  

Prayer is the ultimate anti spyware. Through prayer we can do a thorough system restore. We can go back to our Father and restore the things we left behind while we were getting busier and busier.  Praying His Word dislodges bad programming that threatens our hearts and minds.  We need time talking with the Lord to restore our spiritual batteries and make our hearts stronger and more effective. Prayer for ourselves is the first line of defense-as we pray for God to restore us and renew us, He gives us a clean heart and fresh mind for the day ahead. As we ask God for the very things we have tried to fix ourselves, He gives us His design for repair and we find ourselves feeling rejuvenated and better able to hear from the Lord.

Oh beloved, are you having a hard time hearing from the Lord? Has your heart been loaded with weariness, guilt, insecurity, comparison, and perfectionism? Are you wondering what’s going to happen next? The Lord knows your weaknesses; He knows the enemy’s first line of attack to your system. He knows you personally! And because He knows you, He has a plan to thwart the enemy’s plans. When you seek Him first, for yourself, your loved ones, your life and your plans He will steer you in the right direction! He will speak love words over your entire being, so that you will be so filled with His love that nothing else can come in! He will speak His care over your life so that you will be so filled with the knowledge of His mercy and grace that nothing can come in to bog your life back down!

Oh how He loves you! Wherever you are and whatever situation you find yourself in, God is with you and as you turn your heart to Him in prayer He will do whatever it takes to restore you so that you can praise, honor and glorify Him!

Psalm 5:2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but You.

Psalm 142:5 Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.

Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.

Isaiah 55:6  Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near.

In the Dark? God Wants to Light Your Way!

I woke up in the night to find that the electricity is off in our neighborhood. It’s dark out! Not even a street light has been left on. Diona texted me to see if I was awake. She said Blake woke up crying because it was so dark. Pitch black is hard to deal with any time. Fortunately for us, the power has returned just now and we can move on.

I know you may be waking up this morning feeling totally in the dark. You’ve been hit with a power outage and you can’t see when it’s ever going to lighten up. Darkness seems to loom all around you and you grope to find the way. You try to make sense of the situation you’re in but it’s hard to when you’re hurting and reeling in the dark.

Oh beloved, run to the Lord, the Father of Lights! There is no shadow or turning in Him for He is the Light of the World! Yes, hard times can come on us as surprisingly as a power outage, but with the Lord as our light we never have to experience true loss of power! Our power for living is found in Him! He is the source of all answers to life’s dark times and He is the restorer of our power when things go dark. He not only goes with us, He lights the way so that even the darkness is dispelled before us. He says to you this morning Give Me your darkness – those areas of your life that make no sense or that you cannot control – I will make them as bright daytime for you as you lean closer and closer to My Light. I will never leave you in the dark or forsake you as you try to walk through those hard places. I AM trustworthy faithful and true. You are my beloved and I AM your Lord. One day you will see what I already know – that your good and My Glory are the outcome of every situation of life for you are Mine.

Run to His Word and see! All His promises are yours for you are bought with a price and cared for by the Creator of the Universe! Rejoice in Him regardless of the dark and wait in peace until the light returns! He loves you and He’s for you and that’s all that matters!

I John 1:5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all.

Job 12:22 He uncovers mysteries hidden in darkness; He brings light to the deepest gloom.

Psalm 18:28 You light a lamp for me. The LORD, my God, lights up my darkness.

Psalm 112:4 Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.

Isaiah 49:9 I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out in freedom,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’ They will be My sheep, grazing in green pastures and on hills that were previously bare.

John 12:46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark.

Pest Problems? Let Christ Be Your Remedy

When we returned home from the CMA Rally last week, we found that we had ants on the kitchen cabinets, lady bugs on the ceilings and moths were hanging here and there.  There was also a big spider web in the corner of the living room. Pests had taken up residence while we were gone!  We left our home locked and safe, yet intruders had gotten in.  It took some doing, but we got the ants under control, vacuumed the lady bugs and swiped the cobwebs from the corners.  We could have left them alone and let nature take its course, but we’d have had a bigger problem on our hands.  Even though we had mounds of clothes to wash and loads of camping equipment to put away, we took care of those little problems first.  Pests come when we least expect them. Even at camp, although our camper was snug and our zipper stayed closed, as we closed our camper up, we found a black widow spider crawling right at the doorway. 

Are you living with the pests of life? Regrets meeting you at every doorway? Are there cobwebs of sorrow lurking in the corners of your mind? Thoughts of unrealized hopes could be hanging from the ceiling of your life.  Fears dance across the counters on a daily basis. Every time you try to wipe them away they reappear as though you’ve done nothing about them!

Oh beloved, run to the Lord! He has the best Pest Control Guidebook in the universe! He has a remedy for every problem you’ve encountered in the past. What’s more, His control takes care of the present and the future! His Word limits the greatest enemy of your heart, the devil, and makes your life sound, sealed and delivered! His love for you is limitless, His care for you is round the clock and His plans for your future are laid out for you to receive! Let Him be all that He is for you and rejoice as He reminds you daily that you are loved and He is with you forever!

Psalm 32:5 I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. (NAS)

Psalm 104:34 May all my thoughts be pleasing to Him, for I rejoice in the LORD.

Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

Proverbs 19:23 Fear of the LORD leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm.

Psalm 31:19 How great is the goodness You have stored up for those who fear You. You lavish it on those who come to You for protection, blessing them before the watching world.

Frustrations? Run to the Lord Who Can Handle it For You.

Not long ago I found myself fuming about something. I can honestly say I don’t remember what it was, but I remember the outcome. It was a week that had been unusually tiring. By Friday, that tiredness was turning into frustration. I really didn’t think I could “get it all done”. I went out to the garage to move something.  And it didn’t want to move. So I moved some other things around. All the time I was talking to myself about my frustration. There was one more small object to move out of the way before I could move the bigger object and get to what I was after. I picked it up and tossed it out of the way. I didn’t become the Hulk, really! But everyone in my family knows that it’s quite dangerous when I throw!  My aim and my pitch never go in the same direction. So this small object hit a box and bounced back. Onto Danny’s motorcycle.  At this point I realized I was being ridiculous and I picked the small object up to move it, not throw it.

That is when I spied it. The tiny nick of paint on the fender of Danny’s motorcycle.

And then I heard the voice of my Lord say,

“Anger always causes damage”.

I know what you’re saying. “What, we’re never supposed to be angry?”  The problem with anger is not that we get angry, but what we do with that anger.  I talked to myself about it instead of the Lord.  I found an object to vent my anger on instead of asking God to remove it from me.  It was my focus that got me into trouble. Rather than focusing on God’s redeeming abilities, I focused on my frustrated weariness. But God in His beautiful loving ways, spoke oh so gently to me. God did not return anger, righteous indignation or punishment on me.  He just walked around the day with me watching over me, hoping to get a moment with me and then at just the right time, He taught me. In love.

Oh beloved! I know for some of you there are things going on in your life that seem insurmountable. You’ve hoped they would go away, but they’re still staring you square in the eye. You’re getting tired and you’re ready to do something about it – in your own strength. But there is One Who has promised to follow you all of your days. He wants to speak the loving truth into your life so that whatever comes you can lean on Him for His strength, His wisdom and His courage to do the right thing no matter what. He says to you, I love you. I’ve got this. I know you can’t handle anymore, so just give it to me. Let me take your frustrations and your fears and turn them into jewels of the faith for you. My exchange system will never cause damage and never bring regrets. But you’ll have to Trust Me. You can, you know, for My Name is Faithful and True. Lean on Me for your support and together we’ll go into the situation and I’ll make things beautiful in their time.

Hallelujah! What a Savior! Who takes our infirmities and heals our wounds and renews our spirits. All in love, because He promises to love us forever and be with us always. And that’s all that really matters.

Hebrews 10:35-36 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!  Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.

Philippians 4:6-7 Don’t worry (fret or fume) about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

Psalm 86:11  Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.

The Lord Wants to Be the Foundation of All You Do

Some friends painted their rent house years ago and it looked great! Being a rent house they just wanted to get it ready for renters. It sure made the house look inviting and well kept…for a few months. Unfortunately it wasn’t long at all before huge chunks of the new paint began to peel away. I asked Danny why that paint was peeling so badly and so quickly. He explained that without the proper prep work eventually the covering will give way. It’s what’s underneath that makes for the success of the paint job. Paint can just be thrown on to look good but it won’t last.


Have you noticed that when you put Him first other things blossom and produce lasting results? Have you ever wondered why things falter or fail even when you do your best?

Oh beloved! The Lord wants to be your foundation for everything! It’s only when we put Him first, let Him cover all we do and say that our lives won’t peel apart. Run to Him this morning and ask Him to be the groundwork for establishing your life. He loves you so much that He’ll never turn you down for asking. Not only that, He will come in and “refurbish” anything you have left Him out of. His heart’s desire is not for our ruin but for our complete restoration! You are no rental in His eyes, you are bought with a price and He takes care of you as full owner! Thank Him this morning for His Awesome Complete Love!



Isaiah 33:6 NLT In that day He will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD will be your treasure.
Psalm 111:10 Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!

Isaiah 28:16 Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.

1 Timothy 6:19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

A Cloud of Witnesses!

The nursery and produce stand in Caddo Valley has a line of scarecrows out front. They really aren’t scary at all, they are lovely. Each one is a different size, gender, style. They all just make me want to smile! No they make me want to laugh out loud! This row of greeters standing there reminded me of the words in the Bible, “So great a cloud of witnesses”.  Until I saw this lineup I always thought merely of those witnesses as people who remind us that even when times are hard we can make it.  And it’s true. But there’s more. They are not merely bystanders holding up their previous experience. They are cheerleaders! They are shouting, through the Word of God, “you are MORE THAN a conqueror!” You are “victorious”! They are waving wildly the banners of God’s Love Song to you and me. Not just that either…The cloud spoken of says to me they are actively involved, kicking up dust, making a scene!  In this world of compromise and quiet we are meant to kick up our heels and shout it to the rooftops “He’s for us! He loves us! No power in hell, no trouble on earth, Nothing, Nothing, Absolutely Nothing, can separate us from His loving care!”

Oh beloved, do you hear the cheers? Do you hear the accolades, the commendations, the congratulations? God and His heavenly host, along with the host of believers who have gone before us are shouting with joy to you this day: You can do it! You can make it! You are beautiful! You are loved! You are not alone! You win!

I know things can be hard, people can be mean, and finances can be lean. Cars need filling, children need clothing. People check out and life can get frazzled. But God is oh so much more than the things you are dealing with! He’s not only aware, He’s actively involved and He truly cares. This morning, while the night is still hanging on and the sun hasn’t slipped all the way to your window, give it all to Him. He’s got your life covered in His amazing grace and He loves you wonderfully! And, truly that’s all that really matters.

Psalm 149:4 “For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.”

Psalm 97:1 The LORD reigns! Let the earth rejoice; Let the many islands be glad!

Zephaniah 3:17   For the Lord your God is living among you! He is a mighty savior! He will take delight in you with gladness! With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs!

Romans 8:37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us!