“Keep looking ahead.”
If you have ever run track (not here) or ever watched it (yep), you will notice the best runners never look around. They look straight ahead.
Proverbs 4:20,23-27 are interesting verses. Here they are for you:
My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words…Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. (NLT)
As you probably guessed it, the verse that says, “Look straight ahead…” is the one that caught my attention this morning. So many followers of Jesus (myself included) often get sidetracked. Instead of keeping my eye on what is ahead, I start with the roaming eye and swivel head. Coaches and runners will both tell you how dangerous it is for a runner to start looking around. It is easier to stumble. It is easier to worry. It is easier to miss someone passing you over the other shoulder. It is common to lose speed. It is also common to be overtaken.
Just like in life. Keep your eyes peering straight ahead. Don’t look around. Don’t get sidetracked. The writer of Hebrews gives some good wisdom: “Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slow us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1-2a NLT) Keep looking ahead!
very true… The enemy loves to use distraction to get our focus away from Jesus. Now time for me to read and listen to Proverbs 4 this morning.
True Ryan. And that’s so cool! Love to hear your take on that chapter.
As a Father, I can fully relate. Though, not perfect, I bring the wisdom and experience of my age (as well as the scars). However, Do I really want my children to follow in my footsteps? I can say without hesitation, NO! If I am their benchmark and focus, then they will miss out on the infinitely higher calling. My hope is that they can look at the route I have taken and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, see where my path frequently went off coarse and they can adjust their heading. In addition, I know they will often try to carve their own course as well and perhaps I can be an additional guide along the way to help with the journey for my children and my children’s children.
Wise words my friend. We can guide but we cannot force feed. And we should definitely want our children to forge their own way and their own faith. I pray your 3 and the grandchild now born and those to be born will benefit from your wisdom.
For some reason, this made me think about this past weekend’s Kentucky Derby where the winning horse was ranked last, yet he won! He never looked left nor right, but straight ahead as he outpaced all the others and claimed the prize. May we all be determined to keep Jesus as our focus and guide. Blessings, Bill!
Interesting about the horse Martha. I did not listen nor did I know of that. What an appropriate lesson for us!
Both great verses Bill. I start my day with surrendering to the Lord, asking Him to help me keep all of my thoughts captive with Him, then I put on the armor of God. Both of these verses go right with those requests. It is easy to let chaos and noise, and people distract me from what is most important in life. God is and should always be my focus. Sometimes that focus slips away and I cannot even explain how at times I let that happen. All I know is sometimes at the end of the day, I know somewhere in the day, I lost sight of God, and knowing full well, I did not want to let that happen and yet I did.
God’s Word is always relevant and applicable to all right? You are state that in this. While you pray for captive thoughts and the armor, that doesn’t stop life from happening and the enemy stepping in to make things tough. The important thing is that at the end of the day you realize you went awry and set it straight.