Focusing on the Lord
What is the focal point of your life? When you get up and go through the day, what are you trying to achieve? How do you know what to do or not to do? If there is no focus, there will not be any progress or fruit. If there is the wrong focus, there will be destruction. Psalm 130:5-6 gives us the right focal point. If we do this, our lives will be radically better.
The Bible word for focus is the word "wait." Often, we don't understanding biblical waiting, so let me explain. The word means to watch with expectancy to see what is going to happen. It is not passive waiting, but it is very active. In fact, the attention is so focused on seeing what is going to happen that we don't see other things. Therefore, when we wait on the Lord, we are focused on Him to see what He is doing, so we know what to do. We wait for Him to lead us in the right direction.
The psalm specifically says my soul waits on the Lord and watches more than one who watches for the morning. Remember, the soul is made up of our mind, our will, and our emotions. When we are waiting on the Lord, we set our minds to know what He is like and to understand His will through His word. We set our will to do what He wants us to do. We ask Him to direct our emotions to feel the way He feels. Then, we can do what is right and good. Without Him, we can do nothing.(John 15:5) Like the morning, the Lord brings light and opportunity.
Also, the word hope is used here, "in His word I do hope." Hope is waiting for what is going to happen in the future. It is not wishing for something to happen. It is knowing it will happen. Therefore, when we hope in His word, we read the Word of God to learn what will happen. Then, we wait and watch for it to happen with confidence.
When you put it all together, I know it is radical, but Jesus is radical. It is not to be life as usual. We are new creatures in Christ.(II Corinthians 5:17) We are to live in an completely new way, focusing on our Lord and doing what He does and what He directs us to do each minute of every day. That is waiting on the Lord. Don't get ahead of Him or lag behind. Move at His command, and your life will be blessed beyond what you can imagine.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 133-135.
The Bible word for focus is the word "wait." Often, we don't understanding biblical waiting, so let me explain. The word means to watch with expectancy to see what is going to happen. It is not passive waiting, but it is very active. In fact, the attention is so focused on seeing what is going to happen that we don't see other things. Therefore, when we wait on the Lord, we are focused on Him to see what He is doing, so we know what to do. We wait for Him to lead us in the right direction.
The psalm specifically says my soul waits on the Lord and watches more than one who watches for the morning. Remember, the soul is made up of our mind, our will, and our emotions. When we are waiting on the Lord, we set our minds to know what He is like and to understand His will through His word. We set our will to do what He wants us to do. We ask Him to direct our emotions to feel the way He feels. Then, we can do what is right and good. Without Him, we can do nothing.(John 15:5) Like the morning, the Lord brings light and opportunity.
Also, the word hope is used here, "in His word I do hope." Hope is waiting for what is going to happen in the future. It is not wishing for something to happen. It is knowing it will happen. Therefore, when we hope in His word, we read the Word of God to learn what will happen. Then, we wait and watch for it to happen with confidence.
When you put it all together, I know it is radical, but Jesus is radical. It is not to be life as usual. We are new creatures in Christ.(II Corinthians 5:17) We are to live in an completely new way, focusing on our Lord and doing what He does and what He directs us to do each minute of every day. That is waiting on the Lord. Don't get ahead of Him or lag behind. Move at His command, and your life will be blessed beyond what you can imagine.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 133-135.