Merriam Websters’ definition: to bring or direct toward a common center or objective : FOCUS!!!
There are too many distractions that pull our focus from what matters most to our future and our God given purpose.
Whether it is the voice of peers, families, culture or social media, the constant drone of voices and opinions can leave a person placing their hands tightly over their ears or over their eyes to block out the lies.
Have you ever felt the overwhelming cacophony of sound? Louder and louder, intense opinions that seem to counter the peace and wisdom of God.
No matter the storms of life, the distractions to our peace can be silenced. Nature and thunderstorms used to scare me, however, I love to see the message of hope in the midst of the storm. The rainbow of God and His covenant of peace from Moses time still holds true for us today.
Rising above the storm by Matt Spencer
I found the Message version of Proverbs 4:18-27 relevant for today. It’s truth can bring us back to peace and stability.
Proverbs 4:18-27 MSG The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine. But the road of wrongdoing gets darker and darker—travelers can’t see a thing; they fall flat on their faces. [20-22] Dear friend, listen well to my words; tune your ears to my voice. Keep my message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart! Those who discover these words live, really live; body and soul, they’re bursting with health. [23-27] Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.
As you travel the road of life realize, His message is in plain view. Concentrate on discovering His life giving Words in scripture. They bring more hope and health.
Forget the banter and white lies. Don’t let gossip detour your peace. We must keep a watch on the words we speak; truth over lies, blessing over cursing. Keep your eyes looking forward not at slideshows. Let your steps be directed by Jesus. He has better plans for you.
It is one day at a time holding onto Jesus and His promises!! I am so grateful for new revelations and His grace as I learn a better approach to life.
Philippians 1:6 NLT 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.
Do you know Jesus loves you? I mean really Loves you. He wants to know you in a relationship. Do you want to know a love like this? It is a step of faith with Him. It is a life-changing experience. He wants to know You!!
In John 4, there’s a story of a woman who had a hard life, had many lovers, Jesus met her at a well. She was seen as less than, yet Jesus loved her. Jesus wanted her to know He came to save her from her sins of the past and He would be water for her thirst. Unquenchable thirst refreshed by the amazing Jesus, the Water of Life.
John 4: 10 – 15
10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”
13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”
These are not just words, they are life-giving. It does not matter where you have been women or men. Jesus waits for you to call out to Him, He loves you!!!
Love Like this, a beautiful song by Lauren Daigle came onto my playlist yesterday. It has been a while since I heard this song, powerful lyrics bring hope and a reminder that the love of Jesus! He is the living water in a wasteland. Jesus is a warm morning sunrise after a dark, lonely night.
We may not feel we deserve a love like this but Jesus says we are His! Seek to know Him! Let the whisper of His voice fill your mind with hope. Enjoy basking in Him.
We cannot earn a love like Jesus gives, it is a free gift. Isn’t that amazing?
In the Bible, Chapter 14 of John tells us about a conversation between Jesus and doubting Thomas along with the disciples. I share this chapter to show you Jesus understands our human doubt. He loves us anyway!
John 14: 1 – 14 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is.[c] From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.
12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!
Jesus told his disciples after he briefly returned from death on the cross, He would send an advocate (the Holy Spirit) to guide them.
Matthew 14: 15 – 21 shares what Jesus said to his best friends, the disciples. We are not alone after we accept Jesus as our Savior, we also have an Advocate (the Holy Spirit) along with Jesus who intercedes for us before God the Father.
Jesus said 15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
The Living Water of Jesus is for everyone. We are all sinners who fall short of perfection. Yet Jesus died a sinner’s death on the cross. He rose from the dead and shared the news of the Holy Spirit with his disciples. who in turn shared the story in the Bible.
Did you know Bible Gateway ( BibleGateway.com ) has a website that you can access online for the Bible?I use the New Living translation or the Message versions because I feel they are easier to understand.
The Bible is the most read book of all time according to Business insider, and the best selling book of all time according to Guiness Book of World records.Consider a new year as an opportunity to access the Bible for yourselves.
We can start a new year with a new life in Jesus. We can accept this free gift of love. He gives us a beautiful love like this, reach for it today!
John 3:16-17 NLT [16] “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [17] God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
Forgiveness seems like it should be something that comes naturally and yet it doesn’t. Being human means being hurt. Every human can be mean. Even if we love somebody, there is an old adage, that says, “you always hurt the ones you love”. We hurt our relationship with others and our relationship with our Savior; since we hurt one of His.
It is our impulsive, impatient nature that may just cause us to speak without thinking. We think we know the best course and in this ME world, we feel, “We deserve things ASAP.” God does know the plans He has for us.
Hearing my elder kids share with the younger, “Don’t be in a hurry to be an adult, it is hard, I wish I had mom and dad to handle my stuff. Paying bills, having a time schedule, managing money and all, is hard, Dude!” I smile as I walk past this serious discussion.
Our impatience is pride, we want control, plain and simple. In the end, we may get what we want but what is the cost. We end up feeling sad and discontent.
God placed us in our families for a purpose to be grown and trimmed of character flaws, ouch:), and loved, hopefully; loved, and taught the wisdom of God.
Sometimes, our parents may fail us because of their own space of brokenness. They may live in fear, not know Jesus, respond from fear to anger. Their fear, or perhaps a previous experience of trauma, may lead to words that are expressed not in the manner needed. I have heard it said, Fear is the precursor to most anger.
Even if we were not raised with the knowledge of God, the Bible, and the importance to forgive, we still have to unload the bitterness that unforgiveness can bring to our life. We may not forget anothers’ hurt but we have to let God handle it. If we do not let go and Let God, we fill our minds with more junk.
God wants us to forgive each other, start a new day, and meditate on the word of God. There’s a scripture in Proverbs, it says a gentle answer turns away wrath, great wisdom.
Proverbs 15:1 - 2
1 A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge,
but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.
It is important to respond gently, especially to those that may be hurting. We may need to walk away and gather our thoughts. We all disappoint each other. It’s the enemy that keeps speaking lies and doubts to our mind such as we are unworthy or that others are judging us.
We have to get our truth from Jesus Christ himself. That may mean putting post-it notes or index cards with scriptures of wisdom on your mirror, on the car visor, in your kitchen. I need to be reminded to change my reactions. Maybe this advice will help break the patterns of conflict in your home.
Zephaniah 3:17 reminds us the Lord delights in us. Ephesians 2:10 says we’re God‘s workmanship created in Christ for things He planned long ago. The enemy wants to talk slime and make us believe we will never achieve the goals He has set.
When we hear negative thoughts spewed by people around us; “you will never succeed, supposed to be perfect, you will never find love.” We may need to disconnect from those who spew junk. Sometimes the past seems to haunt our mind, and we are just stuck in the negative.
We have to pause and consider where is that stupid comment coming from?
Is it really what my parents or my family have said? Or is it just the false statements that come from a past hurt or the enemy? We can choose to flush those things out of our brains. We have to make space in our heads, dump the lies and fill our minds with the truth.
Romans 12:2 NLT Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
If we continue to fester on the lies of the enemy then we don’t have enough space in our brain to think the true thoughts. It is time to clear out the lies in our mind, words spoken in anger by others, mean, jealous comments. Dump the junk! Let the truth of God, let His words encourage, comfort, and prompt your life to your purpose.
God’s Truths: I am God’s chosen one. I am a child of God. I’m worthy because He calls me worthy. He will direct my path if I let Him lead. He has great things in store for me. I need to be patient and allow Him to speak the truth and I need to listen. He will never ever forsake me, I can trust God!
Inspiring Light Through the Cracks 