Focus On God

Many years ago while in the army some friends of mine invited me to go with them to play eighteen holes of golf. I gladly accepted their invitation even though I had never played golf in my life. In fact, I had never held a golf club, and I had never been on a golf course. It was a beautiful bright sunny day; and perfect for playing golf. The guys showed me how the game is played and off we went. I made some decent shots for a beginner, and I made some terrible shots. Oh well! I had a lot of fun. Sometime later I tried my hands at golf again. I did not see any improvement in my game. One of the guys took notice of my frustration, and he began to observe my techniques. He pointed out to me that golf is a game in which you have to stay focused on the smallest details. You must hold the club precisely. You must have your feet positioned correctly. Your upswing of the golf club must be exact, and your approach of the club to the ball and the follow through is critical to your game. I thought this game is too slow for me so I’ll stick to football which is more physical and not so much concentration and focus. One of the factors that hinder our Christian lives is a lack of focus. We are easily distracted by the things that we see and hear in our environment. We believe in God. We trust His words, but too often we lose focus on what He tells us to do. When we lose our focus on God and focus on the things around us we may become afraid and lose our faith in God. When we lose faith we are heading toward failure and disaster. We must realize that God’s commands are not to hold us back. God is not interested in taking away our pleasures and happiness. Rather, following God’s command precisely gives us the best chance to succeed in life. God’s commands are like instructions that tell us how to operate our computers. They are like a recipe to making a delicious dish of food. Following the recipe means that each ingredient is proportioned so that the best flavor is obtained. It also means that there are no ingredients that don’t belong are put into the dish. In the book of Joshua God gives Joshua specific instructions that will enable him to take the land of Canaan that God is giving him and the Israelites. God has the strategy to defeat the enemy. Joshua needs only to focus on God and follow His commands (Joshua 1:1-9). First, Joshua must believe that God has made provisions for his success. God has the power to overcome all obstacles. In fact, God has designed His strategy so that the Israelites’ apparent weaknesses are turned into strengths. The inhabitants of the land have iron chariots and iron weapons. God will cause the war to be fought in the mountains where the healthier and more mobile Israelites will have the advantage. God knows the right things to do at the exact time. Joshua’s task is to focus on God only. God said to Joshua, “‘Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go’” (Josh. 1:7, NASB). God gives Joshua military strategy for defeating the armies of the enemies. God tells Joshua to do exactly as He is telling him to do. Joshua must not consider doing thing according to his own knowledge and understanding. He is not to worry about what the enemy has and what he does. He is to focus solely on God. He must not be distracted by what can be seen such as the physical size of the people, their fortified cities, and their iron weapons of war. God is giving them the land, and they only have to follow God’s war strategy. God gives Joshua strategy by which he will take the land, and He gives instructions on how they are to live in the land successfully. God continues by saying, “‘This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (v. 8). The Israelites are entering into a land in which there are diverse groups of people, and the lifestyles of the inhabitants are very different than that which God is prescribing for His people. The people of the land do not worship Jehovah because they worship many gods and they have no knowledge of God. In Leviticus we learn that the Israelites must follow God’s dietary laws which will lead to strong healthy bodies fit for a rugged life and strength to ward off enemy armies. God gives the Israelites His laws for interpersonal relationships in marriage, family life, and life in the community. God’s laws are the ingredients that make us to be the kind of people that God desires us to be. How does all of this apply to twentieth-first century Christians? We live in a world of diverse peoples. It is easy to become distracted by what we see and hear others do. The news media and the social networks make information available simultaneously as events are taking place. The many voices and opinions are easily assessed. The choices are many and one will find it not difficult to find something that appeal to their desires. What guides our response to the various choices that are before us? An analysis of the church in America today shows us that it is quite different in its beliefs and practices compared to the church twenty or fifty years ago. Things that were once strictly forbidden are now readily accepted. Things that were standard are now rejected. Do we get distracted by what is taking place in the world, and are we joining forces with the world looking for success based on the world’s values, standards and procedures? Has God changed? What hermeneutics guide our interpretation of the scriptures? Is God alone our God alone, or do we also worship the gods of the world? Do the scriptures accurately describe God or do they only reflect God in the world of yesterday? These are only a few of the challenges that the Christian church faces today. These challenges are much like the challenges that the Israelites were facing as they sought to take possession of the Promised Land in which they were to establish a life for themselves. If we are to depend on God for our prosperity and success, we too, must focus on God.