Focus!!! Part 1

Have you ever watched a little child run into the arms of their parent after they have been apart for a little while? That child does not look at anything else but their parent, there may be obstacles in the way but it doesn't matter because mummy or daddy is back. 

I thought I would start this post off with a cute analogy,but it links into what I want to talk about, which is focus. Part 1: focusing on fear

The truth is focusing on your fears can steal your destiny. Now I am not saying you should pretend like your fears don't exit but do not let them take you captivate when there is a God that will take your fears away from you so that you can live in freedom.

Now the Israelites in Numbers 13 and 14 decided to focus on their fears. After the spies came back from the promised land and gave their report, they put fear into the people as they told them about the giants in the land and how it would be near enough impossible to defeat them. However "Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. They said to all the people of Israel, The land we travelled through and explored is a wonderful land!  And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey.  Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!” (Numbers 14:7-9)

Now Caleb and Joshua saw the land, they saw the giants but they saw God going ahead of the people to take the land. So Caleb and Joshua had their eyes fixed on God not on the fear of the giants. I said fear and steal you destiny; because the people were afraid and in turn did not trust God, only Caleb and Joshua were allowed to see the promised land, the rest of them died in the desert. (Numbers,14:30)

I can honestly say that there have been times in my life when my focus had been so off, I have focus on my problems or had no focus at all. I spent so much time trying to fix my problems on my own instead of realising that my focus was wrong; I needed to be like that little child, instead of looking at the obstacles, I should have been looking at the One who is able to calm the seas. 

Leading to the story of Peter walking on water in Matthew 14:22-33. Everyone always looks at this story and points out Peter's failure but I want to look at it a little different before I still point out his failure. 

The disciples by this point had already seen Jesus calm a storm, they have seen Jesus do miracles but now he is walking on water in the darkness, anyone would be afraid, yet Peter was the only one with enough boldness to take that step of faith out of the boat in the first place.

At times we can be like that; we take a step of faith out of our comfort zone and at first its fine our focus is on Jesus and we can walk on the water. But then we face an obstacle or a challenge to our faith (waves) and we start to sink because now our focus has become our problem rather than the one who is there to save us. 

^{Matthew 14:31 ''}Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”. See if you lose your focus , if you fall, the Lord will reach out that hand pick you up. There have been times that my faith has been smaller than a mustard seed, yet my hope lets me believe that things are going to get better and helps me focus on the Lord and pull back my attention from all the distraction around me. 

'You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!' (Isaiah 26:3)

Face your fear by fixing your eyes on the Jesus!