Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Change”
Our Bible verse for today: “Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Sometimes we just need to change our focus.”
If you’re like me then you probably have a tendency to focus on the events of life, especially the difficulties and the trials. Our minds tend to dwell on such things, thinking about them endlessly, worrying about them, chewing on them like a bull dog on a bone. We just can’t let it go.
What we fail to remember at such times is that Jesus is Sovereign over all the events of our lives and He has either caused the events directly and for a purpose, or by His permissive will He has chosen to allow it into our lives, for a season and for a reason. Since He is Sovereign over those events, and since He is also all-powerful and therefore has complete control over them, we need to change our focus from the event itself to the one who has control over the event. We need to shift our focus to Jesus and keep it there.
This morning, as I continue to try to help my family work through a difficult and painful situation that we have been dealing with for some time, I spent some time in Psalm 34. As I did, I was amazed to discover what a reassuring and helpful Psalm it is. Let me share a few of the verses with you:
“I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” verse 4
“Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed.” verse 5
“Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!” verse 8
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them from all their troubles.” verse 17
“The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit.” verse 18
“Many adversities come to the one who is righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” verse 19
It’s true – sometimes we need to change our focus. We need to take it off of the events which are troubling us in life, and put it on the one who controls those events. We need to shift our focus to Jesus and keep it there.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 