...Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of Earth will grow strangle dim in the light of glory and grace.
DAY ONE
Can you imagine that seriously? Standing face to face with Jesus. His face beaming with peace, joy, love, glory, and grace. Can you imagine what you would focus on at that moment? Can you imagine what you would feel? What would capture your attention during that time? Would you even be able to look in any other direction?
There are many stories in the Bible that talk about focusing on Jesus. Casting your eyes towards Him and Him alone. When Jesus's disciple Peter walks on water to get closer to Jesus, He quickly gets distracted by the wind and waves around Him. He loose focus on what He was moving to. He began to sink AND CRIED OUT, "LORD HELP ME!" Jesus IMMEDIATELY reaches out His hand and saves Peter from sinking. Check out the full reading from Matthew here.
This week I will be sharing kingdom-minded principles from scripture to help us focus on Jesus in a time where the winds and waves around us are roaring. I encourage you to spend time with the Lord today, worship in your car. Open your Bible. Journal to Jesus. Drawing close to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is something you'll never regret.
Let's kick off the week with prayer.
Lord, in such uncertain times, we see the chaos around us. We feel the heaviness of the world's cry. But we turn to you. Knowing you care. Lord, thank you for caring for us. Thank you for your love for us. Seeking us where we are, immediately reaching out to save us. Open our hearts to you in new ways this week. Create divine opportunities for growth and divine appointments for loving the world around us.
In your name, we pray. Amen.
DAY TWO
Our focus on Jesus can't be shaken by our surroundings.
"Well, when I can carve out that thirty minutes to have alone time... then I will be able to focus on Jesus."
" If life would just let up, I could get back to church. "
" If my parents hadn't shoved religion down my throat, maybe I would give it a try."
"If that person hadn't hurt me at our last church, I would probably still be pursuing Christ now."
It's got to be dedicated by our love and pursuit of Him. Growing in the knowledge of who He is.
Can we ever begin to realize that the creator of the world loves us so much, that though the winds roar and the waves of life crash down around us, He still is there? In our doubt and in our lack of knowledge of who He is. We look at our surroundings and we are shaken.
Yet He loves us anyway.
Do you ever think, why didn't Jesus just silence the waves and part the water so Peter could get to Him? Instead, He waits for Peter to see that He is sinking and cry out. Looking back at so many seasons of my own life, seasons of sinking. I wonder how many times Jesus just wanted to reach out to me. But was waiting for my cry to Him.
I can promise you, that every time I have opened my spiritual eyes to see myself sinking. And called out to my Father, He has immediately reached out and caught me. That is who we are pursuing, that is who we are focusing on. The one who waits to catch you. The one who responds " You of little faith, why do you doubt?"
In a world full of distractions, how can we ever be Christ-following women who stay focused on Jesus? This week we will be diving into practical ways we can focus on Jesus daily.
DAY THREE
Be intentional with your time.
When it comes to time, you don't get that back friend. And while there are a million things pushing you in all different directions. You have to know how to walk in purpose with your time. To the Mama staying at home, feeding and changing her baby's on repeat. There is a purpose to your day. To the Grandmother, alone at home. There is a purpose to your day. To the Dad working multiple jobs to provide for His family. There is a purpose to your day. And although the seasons are different, the purpose is the same. To pursue and draw close to your heavenly Father, ultimately bringing glory to God. To spread the gospel, and disciple those who He gives you to care for.
Making time to study scripture, and be intentional with our relationship with the Lord, fulfills that very purpose. Even Jesus took time away to be with the Father here on Earth. He understood the purpose of that time. He spent intentional intimate hours with the Father in Matthew 26. You can read the full story here!
Shifting to a kingdom-minded focus on our time can change everything. Imagine if we thought about our day as if it wasn't our own. It's God's time that He has given you for His purpose. How much difference does that make you think about how and where you're spending God's time.
Today, look over the time God has given you during your week? Choose to live intentionally with that time.
DAY FOUR
Stay Kingdom-minded.
I won't lie to you, being kingdom-minded is still a very hard concept for me in my walk. It's so much easier typed out than walked out. But can I tell you how much freedom this lifestyle change has brought my husband and myself. Freedom in finances, work, home, lifestyle, and more. The idea of having an eternity focus instead of a right now point of view is huge. Making God the complete center of ourselves. He becomes the Sun of our solar system, and we orbit around Him knowing without Him there is nothing.
Now, this may sound silly to some, because Kingdom principals are counter-culture. The world says work as much as you can to save and build your empire. God's word says to be a servant to others and give freely what the Lord has given you.
John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.” Luke 3:11
The world says YOU are the most important thing, your own life is valued more than any one else's. God's word says to lay down your life for one another.
John 15:13 says No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.\
The world says success is the key to happiness. That it is measure by wealth and material objects. But God's word says to store up treasure not here but in heaven.
John 15:13 No one has greater love than this: to treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
When your lifestyle alines with God's will and a Kingdom focus, we can help but lock our eyes on Jesus. Being Kingdom-minded takes intention, sacrifice, and studying out God's word. It takes prayer and fasting to seek God's will for your life.
Are there any areas in your life where you know God is calling you to move into focus with Him and out of focus with the world?
DAY FIVE
Read your word daily.
Hebrews 4:12 says
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
Reading the Bible, not just a devotional like this one, is often kind of a sore subject for most Christians. I will even sheepishly raise my hand here. The text can be overwhelming in nature. And the cultural differences and significancies can be lost on me. But regardless of how my flesh feels, as apart a command and the armor of God. Studying scripture is a vital lifeline in focusing on Jesus. You see 1 Peter 3:15 calls us to be ready to give a reason for the hope that we have. But if we don’t have a solid knowledge of Scripture, we may not be able to give a proper explanation.
In addition, it's for us. It's a gift. One that strengthens, trains, teaches reproofs. That shows us the true nature of God. And like any good gift, it comes with instructions for use. If the Bible had a dosage suggestion on the back, it might say " daily. " That isn't meant to bore us, but build us. Train us. Draw us into the living God.
It's oftentimes referred to as a sword! How can a book of paper and binding be a defense?
Join me next week in sharing more about the living word of God! My prayer is the Lord ignites your passion for His word. That it truly becomes your first defense, and you most looked forward to the time of the day.
Focusing on Jesus is a lifelong journey. Our circumstances may try to shake us. Our self-centered priorities may rob our time. Our lack of kingdom mindedness may cause us to wander from God's purpose in our life. We may even allow our Bible to collect too much dust from time to time. But even through all of our mess. Jesus still loves and pursues us.
Friends, that's worth focusing on. Jesus is worthy of our focus.
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