I have trouble with focus. I struggle with many directions of thought. Do you?
God is a gracious help when it comes to focusing. He basically says,
“Stop. Think of Me!”
In Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
There’s so much going on. “Outside there are conflicts, inside there are fears,” much like in Paul’s day as he wrote of his time in Macedonia in 2 Corinthians 7:5.
“But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us,” Paul continues, and He comforts us today.
Where’s my focus? I need to remember to spend time with God.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Psalm 37:7.
God’s allowing trials in all our lives. He warned us in His Word we would have tribulation, but to rejoice because He has overcome, He is our victory, (John 16:33).
When words to our prayers feel weak, I speak the words of this favorite ancient 8th Century hymn:
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light
When we speak to one another in hymns and psalms, we put on the spiritual armor of faith and truth, to gird ourselves for battle.
Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one
In Christ, “in Him,” we have salvation and security. He is our peace. In His presence is fullness of joy, the Bible tells us. And, ” . . . in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
The hymn reminds us of this. He is with us!
Be Thou my battle shield, sword for the fight;
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight;
Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O power of my power.
Together, we must stay focused on the battle. The Word of God must be our sword of thought to overcome:
” . . . since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame,
and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12: 1,2.
This is easy to read. Hard to do. But with God, all things are possible. His Word is a double-edged sword:
“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” Exodus 14:14.
To quiet the mind is a challenge. But to spend time with God is to be still.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my treasure Thou art.
Ancient Irish, 8th-century hymn
High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.
Let’s be equipped for battle, focused on the Lord, in His Word, speaking the hymns. When we get our focus on Him we remember we are His and He is ours.
We pray, “Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, . . .
still be my vision, O ruler of all.”
(If you have trouble resting, listen to this hymn on my Music Therapy Souncloud and go from fretful to restful and assured sleep.)
“Tune up my heart strings, Lord.” She prays, as her heart beats in a flat, minor chord.
Many years ago, sitting high above the row of seats in the sanctuary in a small, separated “new mom’s room” with a window. I was alone with a new baby. Jesus and me and a new-born. It was my fourth child.