Focused Faith

One of the enemies ultimate goals is to distract you from obtaining or reaching your goals in Christ. Or I should say distract you from realizing your anointed potential and God's plan for your life. Well, how does the enemy do this? Often times the "debil" uses the people who are closest to you, trying situations, places, and even your own inhibitions or fears as distractors. *Yes I said debil. He doesn't get any respect from me.*

For those who realize this and know whose they are and what their God given assignment is, ought to start praising God now. All the hell you've been through or are currently going through just means that you're that much closer to your BLESSING! You're that much closer to your BREAKTHROUGH! You're that much closer to your VICTORY! And that nasty, dirty, little punk debil is trying to distract you with everything he can to stop you from praising God in advance for what's about to take place. You have to stay focused on God and the assignment He laid before you.

As a lot of us know, some things are easier said than done. So how do you stay focused on God and his assignment for your life? Well, here is one way...see that 66 book love letter sitting next to your bed or on your desk? Yeah, that one. The Bible. The Bible is a handbook on how to handle life. Look in Ephesians 6: 16. Talking about the Armor of God, Paul says, "In all circumstances take up the shield of faith." Wow. Just this one verse says so much. What this is saying is that in order for you to stay focused you have to put your faith in front of you to block the distractions. Now here's the catcher. With the foreknowledge of the distractors coming your way, you should just keep your faith in front of you at all times. Let me say it like this...your faith should be so much in front of you, that is all you see and what others see when they look at you. In doing this, you will be in line with the Word of God by walking by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Now speak to your faith. Build it up. Despite what the situation looks like. Despite who or what's trying to distract you, your faith says.......(fill in the blank).

Last thing and I'm going to stop. At the end of Smokie Norful's song "God did It," he starts saying two simple words that can and will strengthen your faith. He says, "But God!" Think back to your last blessing. Out of what circumstance or trial did you receive that blessing? Think about all the negative things that were said or that you thought about yourself and add BUT GOD to the end of it. I personally get excited when I say it. It just reminds me that if God blessed me one time, He can and will do it again. Hallelujah!!!

JUST STAY FOCUSED.

God bless.

Draw nigh

I know that on the last post I said that there was to be a continuation of the "Setting a Higher Standard" series, but God put something in my spirit that I needed to share. There has been a song in my heart for a while now. Every time that I hear this song my heart goes into a position of praise. The song is called, "Praise is What I Do" by William Murphy III. Really, my heart is in a place of permanent praise now simply because of the goodness God has displayed to me and my family's life. However, this song does move me.

In the song he sings, "Praise is what I do when I want to be close to you." Another part of the song goes, "Praise is what I do. Even when I'm going through, I learned to worship You." Here is the thing that God spoke to me and told me; that despite your circumstances or issues (whether it be financial, physical, mental, or whatever) when you praise God, you are pushing yourself closer to him. That's why this song moves me, because in the past and even now, I realize that I have to praise my way through and push myself closer to Him. I can't sit back and be quiet about God's grace, mercy and love. I have to outwardly praise God whether I'm in the four walls of the church or not.

God doesn't want the physical motions of praise or the talk of praise. Anybody can go through the motions or say the "key" words. What God really wants is your heart. It says in Deuteronomy 6:5 to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength." Now, in order to complete this task, we must first draw nigh to God (James 4:8). The word "nigh" means near in space, time, or relation. So when you draw nigh to God, you are drawing near in space, time and relation. Now because you are in relation to Him, you can truly do what Deuteronomy 6:5 says. Let's be honest. Most of the time people only try to get closer to God because we've tried to do things on our own and couldn't do it. After we come to this realization of not being able to make it without God, then we must do what Jesus tells us in Matthew 6: 33. We have to "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness..." By doing this, we are drawing nigh to God. In our seeking of His kingdom and righteousness, we are seeking Him. And when you diligently seek God, he will show himself true and bless you more than you can even imagine.

God bless.