Focus: a frontal view

My Mom used to say, “I could sell ice cubes to an Eskimo”. She was right but also wrong. When in my early teens I used to go door to door selling from what is called a Tom Watt Kit. Now unless you’re a 60’s or 70’s kind of person, you probably would have never heard of this kit. Basically, it’s kind of like what the kids are selling these days, you’ve seen them… They come home with a magazine full of stuff to buy and an order form…not to mention the prizes they can win.

Tom Watt Kits were something like that but instead of a magazine, you had a personal representation of each product they sold, in a big old box. Well, it seemed pretty big for me. I would carry this door to door and sell my wares. I sold a lot and won quite a few prizes. Why? 3 reasons… The product was pretty good merchandise (candles, toys, tools and even some pet stuff) and look really good. The reason number two, I looked pretty pathetic dragging this box around the neighborhood year after year.

The last reason is the reason for this writing, if I brought magazines around so people could pick out items, it would be ok. People could actually see, feel, touch, smell and taste what I was trying to sell. Our focus, vision and senses give us most importance in the decision making process.

It’s all about vision and focus. This is ok but we often look at things with earthly eyes, rather than heavenly eyes. We tend to look at things through our own glasses, than with glasses equipped with faith.

2 Corinthians 5:7
we live by faith, not by sight.

The writer speaks of how God responds to those who walk by faith, and not by sight.

Psalm 73 there is this guy named Asaph and in verse 2 and 3 he states: But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

He’s lost his focus. He continues in 4 – 12: 4 they have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.  Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, "How can God know?
Does the Most High have knowledge?" This is what the wicked are like- always carefree, they increase in wealth.

We can think of people that we come into contact with on regular bases that have it good. Making lots of money, not many cares or concerns in this life, always doing well, no problems at all. And we look at them, and see their success, and then we look at ourselves, and we start our own little pity party. Woe is me. I’m doing all of this stuff for God, and I’m not as well off as some of these people.

Verse 13 and 14: Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
All day long I have been plagued; have been punished every morning.

How can we fix this type of thinking…..I’m asking you because I have been going thru this very thing lately. Isn’t this wrong all together?

Verse 15 and 16: If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me.

A great example of how we try to rationalize it all and it only gets more painful. The answer seems to be ‘YES’… but only because we are looking from the wrong angle. Our focus is off. Verse 16, 17: When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.

It’s apparent; we need to see with the eyes of Jesus and when we enter into worship and the sanctuary of God, we see things very clearly. We need to change our focus, a draw near to him. As we draw near to God, like Asaph, we gain focus. Verse 18-20: Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!  As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.

When we see the things of this world and start to feel bad about ourselves, we should draw near to God—come to His sanctuary. Worship him. Come to church and fellowship with other believers. This will help us with our perspective.

Also…did you know self-pity is a sin? Verse 21 - 22: When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy, I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in your very presence.

I know this fellow from a small town who saved for years so he could see the big lights of New York. When he got to his hotel, he yelled at the Bellman. “Sir, I have saved for years and years to come here, and this is the best room you can give me?” The Bellman simply stated, “Sir, this is the elevator.” Now I know that sounds funny but we are just like that sometimes. We feel bad because we think we have been slighted because that’s the way we saw them.

We tend to look at our lives, our hardships as evidence that things are going wrong. But sometimes, when things go wrong, it’s because we are doing things right. Job was living rightly when everything went wrong—it was his proper perspective that allowed him to not sin against God.

Verse 27 and 28: Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

Focus: we need to walk by faith not by sight.

I wrote this because I had lost focus. My new prayer…Papa God, I was grumpy today because I lost my focus. Sometimes we need to focus on what’s ahead!