Staying Focused on God and Not Self Allows Our Lives to Be Strong

Today’s bible readings provide clear reminders that it is easy to focus on self and remove our focus from God. It is possible to drift from realizing the blessings we have in God and assuming we can acquire them on our own. The human condition is filled with the struggles or forgetfulness, ingratitude and giving up control.

Scriptures:
I Chronicles 16 (various); Psalm 106 (various) and Matthew 19 (various)

Gratitude is Essential to Life

Observation:
It is easy to drift from a place of gratitude and praise – but it is critical that our praise always be based on what we understand of God and what He has done. Our praise and worship is not to be mindless or heartless but filled with wonder and amazement in the “balance” of God. He has the ability to balance between blessings and judgments. (v 12) reminds us of his miracles but also His judgments (v 14) and in it all God remembers His covenants with His people and the words He commands (v 15). Our praise and gratitude are not just to be something we do alone or in our church setting. We are to “make known” (v 8) to the nations what He has done. We are to move beyond self and our own times of gratitude and tell others – no matter who or where they are of the great things God has done (v 24). It should not take much for us to praise Him – since the scripture records (v 25) “For great is the Lord and most worthy of our praise.” Psalm 106 ties in with this as it says: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.” (v 1)

Application:
The drift that takes place (as stated above) comes when our focus shifts to self. We forget to realize that all “greatness and power and glory come from God” and that “strength and joy, splendor and majesty” belong to Him and are His very character. These are to be ascribed to the Lord and not to us. (I Chron. 16:27 & 28) The greatness and goodness do not originate with us but with God and His love that endures forever (I Chron. 16:34).
These verses cause us to take a look in the mirror and inside ourselves to see where we have become prideful or bought into the deception that we are more than we are. It is easy when we focus on the gifts rather than the giver and our lives rather than the giver of each day of life and the provider of each breath, to become wicked and rebellious (Psalm 106: 6). We are like those before us who have sinned and like those who at the edge of the Red Sea and with no place to go were delivered by God and yet forgot all that He had done for them. They forgot God so much so that they ceased to seek Him or His counsel. (v 13). As they ceased to rehearse the wonders of God and give Him praise as they ceased to tell others of the great things He had done for them they quickly gave in to their cravings and moved into the wasteland. There they test God but God always aces our tests and when we test Him we are always the losers. The progression here is one of heartache and downward spiral as they cease to give God glory they exchanged their Glory (His manifest presence) for that of images of bulls – THEY FORGOT GOD WHO SAVED THEM (v 20 & 21) and became yoked up elsewhere. (v 28) (See I Corinthians 6:14) As we move forward in our reading we find Jesus telling a parable of someone who cannot let go and connect with God. It is the same heart that the Israelites possessed as they forgot God and drifted. Matthew 19: 21 & 22 is the story of Jesus summons to a young man who sees all he has as valuable – he is a rich man. Yet, he is bankrupt in His soul. He has yet to taste and see that God is good and that His mercy endures forever. Jesus calls the young man to follow Him and he is paralyzed by the summons. “Sell what you have…” (v 27) records that Peter and others “left what they had” but this young man cannot. This parable is not so much a story about money / wealth as it is about control. He cannot give up control to what he has and I am sure he walked a wicked way and was lost forever. This is the human struggle. Give God glory, give Him praise, don’t forget all He has done, follow Him and give up control to Him.

PRAYER:
Father God, you are good to me! Help me remember that all I have is from you and that each day I rise, that too is a gift from you. Give me the courage to focus on you, remember you and call to you in Glory. May I never exchange what I have from you and because of you for anything in this life! May I remember and not be fearful to tell others of your great love and kindness. Praise you Oh God. Bless your Holy Name! Lord you are good to me. Amen.