EYES ON THE PRIZE!

Congratulations to Cheryl and Bill Redinger!  April 28th, 2012


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Psalm 25: 15

"My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net."

Ever wonder how we are to keep planted in the Word of God, and throw off all the hindrances, and yet keep our eyes toward the Lord?

I visualize myself out in the garden planting seeds.  My head is down as I focus on putting each seed in the ground.  At the same time there is a cloud of mosquitoes who are buzzing me and I am trying to wave them off.  They are certainly being a hindrance to me as I concentrate on putting things together in the ground.  So, how in the world am I going to keep my eyes toward the Lord?  Now you know, in general, we always want to look up when we are acknowledging our one God and Savior.

Psalm 25: 5

"Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You (You only and altogether) do I wait (expectantly) all day long."

What I want us to get from this, is, that since God created ALL things, He created the earth and the Heavens.  So no matter where we look, bend our knee, or look into the sky. . .there He is.  He is in us.  So whatever we are doing, we can see the Lord, hear the Lord in His birds,  and feel the earth that we are planting, which is His creation.  We can praise and pray while we plant, which keeps the things that bug us - bugged off.  Because all it takes is a thought.  It may even be an innocent one at the moment.  Guarding your heart and mind at all times is a job.  I understand that.  However, it will NET you a different result when you evaluate and check out those random thoughts.  "Maybe so and so was just having a bad day when she walked by me and didn't speak!"  "But, we're friends, what if I have done something to offend her?"  "Well, if we were really friends, she would stop and tell me what is wrong!"  Pretty soon, the mole hill turns into a mountain.  The mountain turns into an attitude and resentment creeps in to take over.  Our enemy loves to set a stage and simply call in all the characters.  We come and are glad to help out, after all, there is a NET (pit), it will save me.  Even if I fall in, it won't be such a hard landing.  

Stay tuned in to the Lord Jesus Christ all day, and no matter what you are doing, He will guide the path to safety.  Last week I talked about the covered wagon and how we get surrounded sometimes.  Have you identified those situations with their arrows pointed straight at you, and are you evaluating which ones need handed off to God?  As you put your eyes toward the Lord, and hand off those hindrances (arrows), you can expect God to be there to show you the way out of the net.  That place where the enemy is trying to trip you up.

He (our God)  is ALWAYS waiting, hands held out.  What are you doing to run expectantly towards Him to find contentment and peace in any situation?