A Church with a Heart for our Community

September 19th Thursday

Greetings to you in the wonderful, powerful name of Jesus Christ – THE Risen Saviour! This morning as I drove along to the office I am sure that off in the distance somewhere I heard… “Oh what a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day! — The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye…” Yes! it is a lovely morning in the Kingdom and once again we stand on the declaration – “This is the day that the Lord has made!” And that declaration comes with an implied meaning…As you accept this day, please accept the gift of time, one of My most precious gifts! This is a day uniquely gift-wrapped with freshness and potential and possibility — and it is yours. What will you do with it? Today I will be praying for you, asking Father to release healing, strength, comfort, and hope to you.

I have been ‘pondering’ again…and this time it is about the word – focus – and how it relates to our spiritual journey, especially as it is a major component of ‘waiting on the Lord.’ It requires much ‘focus’ when you are waiting. It is so easy to get distracted. I have just read how Elisha was asked what Elijah could leave with him when he died. Elisha asks for a double portion of the spirit that possessed Elijah. He was told that he would receive that if he saw Elijah being taken away at death. Just as Elijah was dying and being taken away to heaven in a whirlwind, God sent a fiery chariot across Elisha’s path and it took a lot of focus on his part to see his mentor, Elijah, leave.

I remember Jesus telling his inner circle to focus as they huddled in Gethsemane – “watch (focus) and pray!” — I remember Jesus saying – “my sheep hear my voice (focus) and they follow me” — I remember that it was said of Jesus that he kept his eye on the prize (focus) even as he was facing the cross — I remember that we are told to “fix our eyes on Jesus” (focus).

I know that life demands our attention, always will and that distractions do come but Jesus promised that he would never leave us or forsake us, that even when we are not able to ‘see’ him…we will be able to ‘hear his voice’ and follow. We must learn to focus and follow even in dark days and in happy days, even in pain and in peace, even in confusion and in assurance, even in the light and the dark, even in tears and laughter, even in success and in failure, even in victory and in defeat. As the old chorus says: ‘My Lord knows the way through the wilderness-All I have to do is follow-Strength for the day are mine always-All all that I need for tomorrow.” I – we – must learn to focus, to “turn our eyes upon Jesus!”

A little something to ponder … may your day be blessed!

t