Get Your Focus Back Pt 2

Now, the scriptures instruct us, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding but in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path. Proverbs 3:5-6 

In order for us to fully trust God we must spend time with Him and get to know Him. This takes deliberate acts of focusing, this takes discipline. The Apostle Paul said, “For my determined purpose is that I may know Him...”

The word determined means: having made a firm decision and being resolved not to change it. This kind of attitude is what helps to regulate our focus. When we determine to seek the Lord and His will then this becomes our focus. Colossians 3:1-3 says, keep seeking, this denotes continued efforts, not every now and then.  The Apostle Paul also said,

For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], Philippians 2:10 

Now, you may ask, how can I know what God’s plans are for my life so that I can follow them? You may have noticed in the scriptures above that we are told to - set our minds and keep them habitually focused on the things above – this involves giving devoted attention and time to God’s Word. Spending time reading and meditating in God’s Word will keep us focused on God’s thoughts, plans and purposes. Taking the time to fellowship (building a relationship) with God through His Word gives us the opportunity to get to know Him in a deeper and more intimate way. Relationships don’t just happen, you build and develop them through spending time with one another, through communication and established trust. 

God specifically tells us in His Word to ask Him for wisdom if we need it (James 1:5). Well if you want to ask someone for something then that means you need to be with them and talking to them. God says in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” 

From time to time in talking with different people I ask them what their particular gift from God is, and/ or what they believe their purpose in life is. Their answer to the question many times causes me to wonder if people really believe and/or understand how significant their life and God given gifting(s) are in this life.  

I remember back in the early 1990’s I set out to seek God so that I could find out some specific details about my life and purpose. Prior to this I had set aside times throughout my day to study the Word of God and learn more about the Lord, His thoughts, ways and acts. I believe this time spent in the Word of God created a desire in me to want to know my purpose and calling in life. 

Psalms 37: 4-5 declares, 

Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass.

For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

I wanted to know God’s plan and purpose for my life so desperately I sought Him diligently. No, I don’t mean that I had to beg God to reveal His plan to me, He was more than happy to tell me so that I could accomplish His will. However, I had to prepare myself in the Word of God so that I could receive faith in order to receive His plans and purpose. The bible tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Anything we receive from God must come by faith.  We are sometimes so accustom to being the captain of our own lives that we forget to humble ourselves under the Mighty Hand of God. (1 Peter 5:6)

The Kingdom of God requires that we have faith to receive.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6

Many times we ask God for things before we receive faith from His Word to actually believe and receive what we desire.

(Get Your Focus Back continued in next blog) Talk To You Soon!

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