What do you Look at? The Cause and Effect or God and Victory.
God morning and God bless you this day.
It is so easy to get consumed with ourselves, with what is happening to us and with what is not going right for us, everything seems to be working against us, problems holding us back, with no breakthroughs, we can easily get lost in this world’s wilderness and swallowed up by lives struggles which are besetting us.
For many it could be that our work is consuming our time and thoughts, or you may be busy with children, house work, and many, many other life situations and day by day things that need to be done and addressed.
I have had similar things and thoughts happen to me in the last few months where it was getting to the point I was more focused on me, and what was happening in my life, that I lost my focus temporary with what God called me to do, and who I was as a child of the most high God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ.
It is so easy to lose our focus when life winds blow against us, when the storm gets rough and the waves build up.
It reminds of Peter when he said to Jesus, Lord if it is you bid me to come to you walking on the water, what did Jesus say to Peter? Jesus said come, so Peter steps up and out of the boat and began to walk on the water, He was doing ok until he took His eyes of the Lord and began to look at the waves and angry winds that was blowing against him, when he took his eyes off the Lord, He began to sink, until the point He cried out Lord save me.
Same things happen to all of us when we take our eyes of the Lord and begin to sink, we end up shouting out Lord save me.
Matthew 14:22-33Amplified Bible (AMP)
Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately He directed the disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee], while He sent the crowds away.23 After He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When it was evening, He was there alone. 24 But the boat [by this time] was already a [a]long distance from land, tossed and battered by the waves; for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night (3:00-6:00 a.m.) Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately He spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid!”
28 Peter replied to Him, “Lord, if it is [really] You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 He said, “Come!” So Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw [the effects of] the wind, he was frightened, and he began to sink, and he cried out, “Lord, save me!”31 Immediately Jesus extended His hand and caught him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you [b]doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those in the boat worshiped Him [with awe-inspired reverence], saying, “Truly You are the Son of God!”
I like what it says here in the amplified version of the Bible in verse 30,when Peter saw the (effect of) the wind, when we are in life situations it so easy to look at what we are faced with and see the effects it is having on us and the fear it brings to our mind, now if we get caught up focused on the effects of lives problems and the fear it promotes, we stop looking at God who has the solutions against the effects of the problems and fears coming against us.
The great thing to remember here, is that Jesus is still the Lord of storm, and believing (faith) is still required for us to rise above the storms and keep walking on the water instead of sinking and drowning in it. and we need to keep our eyes locked on to Jesus who is the author and finisher of our believing
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The biggest thing we can do when things get tough and life gets rough is go to God in prayer, lift your burdens and problems to the Father, Find the promise of God, that you can claim and declare out loud His promise over you circumstances. Hold the word of God in mind and that promise of God tight to your heart and mind. Believe those promises of God over what you see in front of you, the Word of God is truth and life giving and brings deliverance when we believe it more than our circumstances.
Take your mind of yourself, and look to bless others, go and encourage someone else who needs encouraging, a lot of times when I have done this I find not only do I get lifted up and out of what a negative mind set, I also get the answers to what problems I have been facing.
So keep your eyes fix on the Lord, no matter what is going on, Look to bless and encourage others. take the focus of yourself and put it on God and others.
Take your problem to God and expect the situation to change, and in the mean time keep focused On God and blessing others. Take time out to find the promised of God to you and pray with all your heart.
Remember you have authority in Christ you can command the storms to be quite, you can command light where there is darkness, you can command healing and restoration where there is need for healing and restoration. Use your God given authority.
It is also to easy to lose your focus when everything is going wonderful for you, we can easily get proud and think our blessing and success is because of our ability or smart business mind, we could easily look down on others because they might not be doing so well, and we think we got it all together. If we get like that in our minds and attitudes, it is the same thing we have taken our eyes of the Lord remembering it is He that has blessed us and given us good success. yes we played our part, by being faithful and obedient, but do not let your head swell and think you are so wonderful.
Keep a humble and meek heart, help those who you can help, be a blessing and thankful that you have no storms at the moment blowing in your life.
I will leave you with a few scriptures to meditate upon and may God bless you greatly.
Psalm 57:7Amplified Bible (AMP)
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast and confident!
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises [to You]!
Psalm 108:1Amplified Bible (AMP)
O God, my heart is steadfast [with confident faith];
I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul.
Psalm 112:7Amplified Bible (AMP)
He will not fear bad news;
His heart is steadfast, trusting [confidently relying on and believing] in the Lord.
James 4:6-8 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify
your hearts, ye double minded.
Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Peter5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
2Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
1Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
