"If you run this race thinking about everything around you, you will always - always - end up being weary and discouraged in your soul.
And, of course, it will affect your health. You’ll become anxious. You’ll get discouraged. You’ll hide yourself away from other believers. And that's when you fall down the rabbit hole. Where should your eyes be? Looking at Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith.
Now I have a question for you. Where is Jesus right now? The Bible says He's seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Where is the throne of God? Look up. So as you run this race of life, your eyes need to be looking up toward Christ. Don’t spend your time looking to the right or to the left, because all that’s going to do is bring worry and anxiety and discouragement.
One of the things I will never forget about growing up a Jewish boy was going to synagogue. I would go on the Jewish holidays and see all of the men with their glasses down their noses, as they read their prayers from a book. As they read, they would look around and around and around, judging the holiness of the people around them and hoping that others would see theirs. And I would think to myself, it's a prayer and they look everywhere but to God.
We can easily be just like that. All day long we’re running our race, looking at the people around us instead of fixing our eyes on Jesus."
While we may not find the term “focus” in the scripture, the Bible is continually reminding us of the importance of where we should focus our attention.
Psalm 121:1-2
I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 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 has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
2 Peter 3:10-13
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
The Psalmist tells us to lift our eyes to the maker of heaven and earth. The author of Hebrews says to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Peter says look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
We could well say that Psalm 121 says keep your eyes on the Lord in spite of your circumstances. Hebrews tells us since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses like those in the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11), don’t let difficult circumstances keep you from running the race with endurance. Peter would remind us that this life and world are temporary, and we should keep looking forward to that new heavens and earth where only righteousness dwells.
In the midst of all we are currently experiencing in the world, we would do well to remember the old adage: One uplook can change your whole outlook. Our focus now is more important than ever. What captures our attention will impact our emotions and perspective on life. If the negative in the world is our constant focus, our emotions and outlook will be impacted negatively. If our attention is on that which is above where our help comes from, our emotions and outlook will be impacted positively.
Corrie Ten Boom, a wonderful Dutch woman, along with her family, hid Jews in their home helping many to escape the Nazis. She was eventually caught. Corrie’s father Casper, then aged 84, was taken to Scheveningen Prison where he died ten days later. Corrie and her sister Betsie were sent to Ravensbrück, a women’s concentration camp located near Berlin, where her sister would die from starvation at the hands of the Nazis.
It was from this backdrop that Corrie would write; “If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at God, you'll be at rest.”
This is amazing counsel considering all that Corrie had experienced. It is also a reminder of the majesty and power of our God. In one of the darkest chapters of world history, and certainly that of the Jews, a woman who lost her father and sister to Nazi prisons and endured hard labor and hunger herself, said rest can be found in God by looking to Him and not your circumstances or world events.
Luke 10:38-42
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
The word translated “distracted” can mean to be driven about mentally, or to be over-occupied. Jesus sought to change Martha’s focus from being over-occupied with worries and troubles to the “good part” or the better thing, which was Jesus and His word.
There are many things today that are “driving people about mentally” and emotionally, and many believers are becoming “over-occupied with troubles and worries.” Some of the things going on in our world are legitimate causes for concern, such as the increasing attacks on the church. Yet none of the things going on in the world should be allowed to overshadow looking for the new heavens and earth in which righteousness dwells.
When the world seems to be spiraling our of control, lift your eyes up to where your help comes from. When running the race is making you weary, look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. When troubles and worries come too close for comfort, choose what’s better instead of letting them distract you. Be like Mary, and choose the good part. Remember, this world is not our home, and while we’re in this life we will have tribulation. We won’t have any in the next.
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus
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Let's keep Chemoor in our prayers, trusting in God's unfailing love. "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Ps 34:18) Believe His promises!
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