Focus

Yesterday's Bible Study posed the question to me:  what is hardest for you in your relationship with Christ?

My answer for what I am facing today would be to focus on Christ, to not take my eyes off of Him throughout each day, to focus on Him in each moment of each day, to see Him clearly and know His direction for my path.  The world throws distractions and I guess I am easily distracted and my focus on Christ is less than intentional.

The study concluded by saying this should be an area I direct my prayers.  Seek Him to overcome this area.

Excellent advice!!!

Then I am greeted with this morning's devotion and I feel armed with a good cousel.

Matthew 14:22-33  Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.
Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.  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. 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?”
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Two thoughts immediately popped in my head.

One:  Staying focused on Christ is crucial.  I have never walked with Jesus the man, never seen His face.  The disciples did.  And yet when He approached them in the boat, they didn't recognize Him.  How much easier will it be for me to not see Him clearly if I am not focused on Him?  The world is a LOUD place.  It is understandable why Jesus went to a quiet ALONE to spend time with the Father.  Staying focused on Christ requires intentionality in my relationship with Him.

Two:  With Jesus standing right in from of Peter, with both of them miraculous standing on the water, Peter is distracted by the wind.  Invisible wind, a known condition, yet so distracting to Peter that He became lost to the moment and His focus on Christ.  He became afraid.  This is possible with Jesus standing right in front of him!  I shall take this as a warning, if it can happen so easily to Peter in this circumstance then I must be bei prepared, armed and focused on Christ throughout each day.

For what I am going through right now I hear my Father reminding me the that I need to focus very intentionally on Him.  I hear His warning that it won't take much to create a distraction.  Be prepared, be armed, stay focused.

Thank You, Father.  Thank You!

Tickets to Paradise

Ever have one of those moments where you're lying in bed waiting to fall asleep and your mind travels to a million different random thoughts?  I do and on a regular basis.  Truth be told, I don't even have to be lying down waiting to fall asleep for this to happen.  Oh well, I digress....

Last night was one of those such moments.

Just laying there.

Waiting to fall asleep.

Mind traveling from thought to thought to thought

and then in lands.

Lyrics from an Eddie Money song....

"I've got two tickets to paradise,
Won't you pack your bags, we'll leave tonight,"

Harmless I would think, but I became very frustrated by the lyrics.

I wanted to shout "NO YOU DON'T!"  How dare these lyrics, how dare this song place such a thought in any one's head!!!

You can't give me my ticket to paradise!

Paradise doesn't require tickets!!

No need to pack bags, you can't take anything with you!!!

Leave to tonight?!?!?!?! 

You can't promise to take me to paradise!!!!

Matthew 6:20  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Luke 23:42-43  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
   Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

I rarely listen to anything besides Christian radio, so it strikes me as interesting that Eddie Money's lyrics pop in my head before I drift off to sleep.

What a gift to defend my Savior against song lyrics before I drift off to sleep. 

What a blessing to become outraged by mainstream lies told in music that misrepresent the message my Savior brought from the cross.

How sad to know that many may never hear more than the message that Eddie Money delivers.  What a tragedy for those to and never meet the one who bought their ticket to paradise and can take them there to share an eternity in glory.

That was how my night ended before I drifted off to sleep.

Jesus is More Human than I Realized

Jeff and I have had great devotional times this past week.  This time together has sparked good, insightful conversation which has in turn given my mind lots to ponder.

The verse below is what our conversation centered around:

Matthew 27:45-46  From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

I have thought of this verse often.  Whenever it crossed my mind, I consistently thought of the sin that Christ bore on the cross.  My sin, the world's sin.  An overwhelming amount of sin.  So much sin that God had to to look away.

However, our conversation generated a new perspectiv and one I will forever cherish.

Isaiah 1:18  "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD:  though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

As described in Isaiah, all sin is scarlet.  No quantity of sin can makes the color any deeper or lighter of a shade.  Sin is sin, scarlet is scarlet.  None lesser and none greater.

Titus 2: 11-14  For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

To redeem us from ALL wickedness.

In those hours when darkness descended, Christ was consumed, overwhelmed with sin and darkness.

But God tells us in Malachi 3:6a  "I the LORD do not change."

And in Deuteronomy He tells us:

Deuteronomy 31:6  Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

During those hours the quantity of sin did not overwhelm God, He did not look away.  He did not falter, move nor even blink.  He was steadfast and right there for every single second.

As Christ lived in this world, He never experienced sin until that moment.  And at that moment He did not merely bear the sin of one man's transgressions, He bore the sin of the world's transgressions.  This was overwhelming.  As He was so overwhelmed by darkness and sin, tha it seemed to Him that God had left Him.  He felt alone, He questioned.

How amazingly human is that?  I know throughout the bible there are many examples of Jesus displaying emotions and discussion of what He experienced... all of these provide the understanding that Jesus can be the intercessor for us because He can relate to us, our circumstances, what life on earth is like. 

But Jesus never sinned, He didn't know what it was like feel your surroundings were so dark that you feel abandoned by God, to feel completely alone.  Yet, now I know even though He was devoid of sinning Himself, He knows what sin feels like, He knows what darkness feels like.  And in those dark places, at the very bottom of the pit He knows it's a place to question the very presence of God in that moment.

Just as I have.

Jesus is the perfect intercessor.  More perfect than I knew!  I also know that no matter what I face, nothing will be as dark as what Christ faced on my behalf. 

I think I'm going to sit with this new perspective for awhile and let it take deep roots.