Watch Out!

 

Pastor's Corner

Watch Out!    May 21, 2009

 

 

Dear Friend,

 

The Bible tells of a time the disciples were in their boat when a large storm came up. As they were trying to keep their little boat afloat, they noticed Jesus walking on the water. So Peter calls out to Him, and asks Him if he can walk on water as well. Jesus tells him to come, and Peter steps out of the boat. He forgets that it is dark, that there's a big storm with raging winds and waves. He just keeps his focus on Jesus, and he's walking on water. I'm sure he turns to make sure the others are watching this; when suddenly he begins to slowly sink. He looks around, and sees the waves; he remembers the wind, and he becomes afraid. And he's sinking. You can read what happened in Matthew 14:22-33.

 

Did you know the same think can happen to us? When we look at Jesus, when we keep Him in our thoughts and put our faith and trust in Him, we will see supernatural results in our lives. But when we get our eyes, our focus, our thoughts off of Him, it is then that we begin to sink, just like Peter.

 

And Satan knows this, so he does everything he can do to get our focus off of Jesus. As one writer puts it:

 

"It is Satan's constant effort to keep the attention diverted from the Saviour and thus prevent the union and communion of the soul with Christ.

1. The pleasures of the world,
   
2. Life's cares and perplexities and sorrows,
   
3. The faults of others,
   
4. Or your own faults and imperfections—
   

to any or all of these he will seek to divert the mind. Do not be misled by his devices. Many who are really conscientious, and who desire to live for God, he too often leads to dwell upon their own faults and weaknesses, and thus by separating them from Christ he hopes to gain the victory. We should not make self the center and indulge anxiety and fear as to whether we shall be saved. All this turns the soul away from the Source of our strength." (Adapted from Steps to Christ, page 71.)

 

So ask yourself, is your focus getting blurred on Christ? Is it because of life's pleasures? Or perhaps it's all those problems and difficulties and everything life throws at us each day. Stop looking at them, and get your focus, your union and communion with Jesus, back on track! Or perhaps it's the faults of others. You know those people who aren't perfect yet! Are they getting you off track? Or perhaps it's your own faults. Those weaknesses and sins you just keep on doing over and over again. Stop looking at them! Stop focusing on poor little self! Instead, put your focus back on Jesus. As Paul puts it: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2.

 

I'm praying for you!

 

Mark