Where's Your Focus by Rocky Fleming

“And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.”

 Isaiah 42:16 (ESV)

During a period of my life, I rode motorcycles.  I began when I was thirteen years old and did it up until about ten years ago.  During those riding times I learned to be a defensive rider, watching every intersection closely for a distracted driver.  Thank the Lord I was never injured and only had a small slip when I hit some excess moisture in the road and the motorcycle slipped down.  I got back on it and drove it home.  That’s the closest I came to an accident.  I learned early something else that is important.  New riders need to know and practice this most of all.  Here’s the rule.  The motorcycle drifts toward where a rider is looking.  It is imperative to look where you want the motorcycle to go, or you could be looking at a ditch and find yourself in it.  Here’s a scripture that makes a point about our focus, whether it is motorcycling or journeying through life.

“Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.”  Proverbs 4:25 (ESV)

How does this information relate to living life as a follower of Jesus?  It’s an analogy to make a point about a more serious truth than motorcycle riding.  It is about keeping our eyes on the things of God, and most importantly on the person of Jesus Christ.  Many rebukes and cautions by God to His people dealt with idols, false gods, love of money, and love of things that are offensive to Him.  It created a loss of love for Him, as it dulled their sense of His first love to them.  It dulled their vision, their purpose, and their peace.  It created half-hearted service to Him, and it pulled them into the darkness of the Evil man where he destroyed their lives.  It is still happening today and maybe more-so.  Here’s another verse I’d like to ask you to meditate on, as I ask you some questions to consider.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” 2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)

In this passage the authority of God’s word is clearly stated.  Do you believe it?  All scripture is inspired by God, and will lead us safely down God’s path for our life, and yet how many pastors, churches or negative voices cause doubt to their listeners to this claim?  They don’t believe it and they don’t practice it, for it is unpopular with self-centered believers who would rather compromise than stand firm.  Isn’t that the work of the Evil Man to sow in a perspective with socially minded churches under the guise of extending God’s grace to more people, but actually creating confusion and distraction in the process.  Isn’t that his motive, to create confusion and distraction?  These “freethinkers” who think God’s Word is irrelevant have little regard to the sacredness of God’s words, and they ask the same question the serpent asked Adam and Eve to create doubt, …. “Did God really say …?”  This is the way his distractions work, and just like the motorcycle driver who is distracted, the doubt and confusion will take people to a wreck.  The Apostle Paul called it being shipwrecked.  But he didn’t ride motorcycles.  Either way, it leads to bad things.

When the scripture above mentions “training in righteousness” it is speaking of being right before God.  That would include our thoughts, our actions, our awareness, and the condition of our soul.  We will be given a new perspective that is convinced that God is with us and for us, and this moves us far from the appeal of Satan’s doubts and fears.  However, it requires stepping through a door of trust to grasp God’s blessing, and doubts and distractions are designed to keep us on the outside looking in.

My admonition to all of you is do not be satisfied with less than what God wants to show you and give to you.  Keep your focus on Him and connect this dot.  Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life.  He is the way we find the truth that reforms us into the life that we deep down desire, for it is His life that will grow in us.  He is that Life.