Staying Focused on God

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A Christian thought to ponder ...

There are times when I will worry about whether I said something wrong to someone or if I offended someone to the point where I will be stressed out about it all week. Sometimes, I focus so much on what people think about me and what I do or say that I take my focus off of the most important one – God. I have let the enemy distract me by focusing on myself, my insecurities, and my doubts. I have ignored the fact that I need to surrender all that stress and worry into God's hands. I need to let Him be in control. When I am so focused on myself, I set my faith and trust aside so, when I step into the water, I am not walking with Him, but I am sinking into the depths of the murky water, just as Peter did in Matthew 14: 25 – 31.

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.

When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14: 25 – 31.

So, why do we doubt God? Why do we tend to focus on ourselves and not God? Why do we let all those minute events that take place daily in our lives take precedence over God?

It is because of our sinful nature that we focus on ourselves. Satan wants us to be distracted. He wants us to be at odds with one another, and Satan wants us to doubt. Satan wants us to have fear; and to question, judge, and condemn one another. Satan wants us to do everything that is the opposite of what God wants us to do. Satan wants to thwart God’s plans for humanity. The enemy wants us to focus on anything but God. He doesn’t want us to love each other, help each other, or forgive each other. The enemy wants hatred, bitterness, anger, doubts, and fear to harbor in our hearts instead of faith, trust, and love. If we were to just lay all those trivial daily events in our lives into our Lord’s hands, let him handle and take care of everything, and leap out into the waters with blinding love, faith, and trust, we CAN walk on the waters with Him through the storm.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for loving us. Thank you for reaching out to us despite our waves of doubts and fears. As we go about our daily lives, help us to stay focused on You. Help us to surrender all our troubles and worries to You and rest it all in Your hands. Help us to grow closer to You and develop a stronger relationship with You. Help us to be loving, kind, and forgiving towards one another. May Your love shine through each and every one of us each and every day.

I ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

God Bless,

Carol

God's Precious Gift

While looking around at all the hustle and bustle this Christmas, I ponder about how much I hate what Christmas has become. I hate being out amongst all of this worldly, mad-dashing chaos. Why do I hate it so much? I find no comfort in it. However, I do find comfort in God’s Word, and I find comfort and hope in the true meaning behind Christmas. At a young age we get it driven into our heads to believe that Christmas is about flamboyant light shows, or it is about the man dressed up in the red suit, or it is about the number of presents we receive on December 25th. When in actuality, the true meaning of Christmas is about a miraculous birth that occurred over 2000 years ago as recorded in the book of Luke.

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2: 10-11

On a starlit night, a brilliant star shone brightly within the night sky, leading people to a magnanimous, humble birth, to a babe who was wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. That baby's name was Jesus. The messiah. A representation of the one Most High. A baby who would become our Savior and would save us from our sins. He would save the lost.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Luke 19:10

God loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to save wretches like you and me. He came to save all people. People who have fallen into despair, people who have abused drugs, people who have committed adultery, people who have stolen, people who have lied, people who have been unkind to others, greedy people, and the list goes on and on. All people, regardless of what sins they have committed, have the gift of salavation available to them. Jesus came into this world to save us all, because He loves us all.

 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

Of all the gifts that I have received in my life-time, there is no other gift in the world as amazing as the gift of salvation. I treasure this gift the most.  It is because our Father in heaven loved us so much that he gave us this precious gift.

This Christmas, my prayer is that those who do not know God that they may come to know Him and be born again. I pray for the lost that they may seek Jesus and accept Him as their Savior. I pray that those who do not know the true meaning of Christmas may learn about it's true meaning; about a babe born over 2000 years ago. Jesus, the Son of the Most High. Emmanuel.

Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for Your precious gift that you gave to us all - the gift of salvation. Thank you for your unfailing never-ending love, mercy, and grace. By Your will alone Lord, I ask that you help those who are lost to seek you this Christmas; to help those who are sitting in the darkness, alone, empty, and never satisfied to seek You and to be filled with Your love and hope this Christmas.
This I ask in Jesus Name.
Amen.

God Bless,

Carol Moore