- If you need wisdom--if you want to know what God
wants you to do--ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent
your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to
answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is
driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to
receive anything from the Lord. They can't make up their minds. They waver
back and forth in everything they do. (James 1:5-8 NLV).
- Thanks
for you patience while we were away for a few days. I wish that I could say
that it was a relaxing vacation, but it truly was a working trip. I belong
to a group of twenty other select dealer groups who pool their monthly
financial information in an effort too compare and improve. These
“composites” are page after page of numbers that become indicators of
trends within the operation of the dealership. One indicator may be too high
or another too low, which prompts us to investigate the reason and take
steps to find a solution. It is a very informative time, though very detail
oriented. Focus becomes the
most challenging task as we pour over the composites together.
-
- That began my thinking for this morning’s devotional.
Focus is essential to any successful feat. Athletes must stay focused to win
a game. Students must concentrate on their studies to progress in their
chosen field. Workers doing potentially dangerous tasks must not be
distracted.
Focus and concentration is important in Christianity. Jesus put it this way.
"If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw
it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to
have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire." (cf.
Matthew 18:8) Psalm 119:113 adds, "I hate those who are double-minded,
but I love your law." Today’s reading is even more pointed. A
double-minded person has no sure foundation in life. Such a person "...
is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." (verse 6)
The double-minded person is "unstable in all his ways" (verse 7).
The answer is so simple: Focus
on the life God desires you to live. Love His Law.
As with anything we study there are two parts to a solution. First, find the
problem. That takes focus. Then we must formulate a plan and take action
toward the implementation of that plan. When you find yourself enmeshed in a
destructive habit the first essential is accomplished. You’ve discovered
it. Now it remains for you to change it, perhaps eliminating it altogether.-
- I know this is where the excuse of “I’m not strong
enough” is usually offered. There is truth in that, however no validity.
God knows we aren’t strong enough. That’s why he offers us the strength.
Ask for it. His promise is to give it!
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