But seek first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness,
and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33
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| bridgescreations, 2015 |
O Lord when my eyes can’t see
the road around the bend looks bleak
when at my feet a puddle deep
not for playing, but for Your bottle to keep
may I in body, soul and spirit
sing and dance in Your sanctuary
naked I came upon this hemisphere
every breath I draw is Yours to give.
You don’t miss a thing
in Your Glories Your comfort brings
O Lord when my eyes are dim
ghostly apparitions envelope the air
remind me Whose I am
my worries and disappointments
disappear.
the road around the bend looks bleak
when at my feet a puddle deep
not for playing, but for Your bottle to keep
may I in body, soul and spirit
sing and dance in Your sanctuary
naked I came upon this hemisphere
every breath I draw is Yours to give.
You don’t miss a thing
in Your Glories Your comfort brings
O Lord when my eyes are dim
ghostly apparitions envelope the air
remind me Whose I am
my worries and disappointments
disappear.
~Marcell Warner Bridges
©2015, All Rights Reserved
N.G.T.H.
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| bridgescreations, 2015 |
There are seasons in life that are just downright tough. For some, each day is a struggle to get out of bed. To breathe. To take another step forward.
And this is when we must…
WE MUST…keep our focus on Jesus.
I’m afraid that when we focus our attention so much on what is going on in us and around us, we make an idol out of our own suffering. We get so caught up in our own struggles and feelings, we forget to focus our attention on the One who can ease our pain and give us the strength to keep moving forward.
I like how Anne Graham Lotz says it in her September 30th devotion, Spiritual Eye Check:
“Jesus said, “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness” (Luke 11:34). The eye Jesus is referring to is your focus. If your focus is on His kingdom and His righteousness, then your life will be in line with His. But if you compromise, your life gets out of focus. Then the darkness of confusion, fear, and doubt takes over. So get your spiritual eyes checked, and restart your journey. Refocus on Jesus.”¹(emphasis mine)
It’s so easy to take our eyes off of Jesus and make our circumstances the thing we focus on more than Him. Sometimes it seems easier to let what is overwhelming us become our focal point. And anything we put before God becomes an idol in our life.
I don’t know about you, but I think it’s about time I set that appointment with Jesus for my spiritual eye check. Wanna come with me? There’s space enough for all of us in His examination room.
From My Heart to Yours,
Marcie
For Further Meditation:
Matthew 6:33-34; Isaiah 55:6; Jeremiah 29:12-14, 33:3;
Psalm 9:10, 27:4-14, 34; Proverbs 3:5-6
¹Fixing My Eyes on Jesus: Daily Moments in His Word by Anne Graham Lotz, Zondervan Publishers, 2012. Page 291.
This is so true Marcie girl! And a very timely reminder for me. Philippians 4:8 comes to mind: Whatsoever things are pure and lovely and noble and worthy of praise – think on these things and the peace of the Lord will be with you (paraphrased).
Ahhh yes, those would have been excellent verses to add to this. Thank you. You are loved 🙂
Hi Marcie! Looking at problems in a whole new way is one of the themes of my blog post this week. Why let the bad overwhelm the good? Why allow ourselves to be pulled down by the sad things in our lives?
These are eternal questions, because we are eternally human. Your prayer is so lovely because it's what we should all be praying. Let the grace of God renew my eyesight so I see as He sees.
Blessings,
Ceil
Hi Ceil! I'm so happy you stopped by! Focusing on Jesus has become the theme of my year and seeing Him in new ways has been very special to me. Thank you for your kind, encouraging words. Blessings, Marcie 🙂