He Makes Himself Known

If there was one thing I think that I am having to learn right now it's focus. I believe Jesus put a huge emphasis on it when he was with his disciples and I am starting to realize how important it is.It challenges me and I realize how distracted I am ad how easy it is to lose focus.

I have been in a bible study this year on the character of God. How can I be closer to a God I want to know if I am not willing to take the time to discover and learn who he is. He has made himself known to everyone by creation but he has also made Himself known through history in his word. Not only that, the word became flesh in Jesus so that we could tangibly see and know him. He wants to be known. He makes Himself known. He makes it possible for me to know Him.

While Jesus lived, I believe he came to seek, save, teach and reveal. He came to seek out those who would follow, save those who would believe in him, teach those who would learn and follow his teaching, and reveal the plan of the Father to the people he loves so much. One thing that stands out to me is that Jesus challenged those he called to focus. To keep their eyes on him. First he needed to challenge their faith. Who did they really believe in. Was their faith in him or simply because he did miracles? One challenge of faith was while they were out to sea and the storm was raging while Jesus slept and the Disciples were afraid. He awoke to tell the wind and storm to be silent and they obeyed bringing calm. The disciples were a bunch who were willing, but so many times let the circumstances around them weaken their resolve and faith in the power and person of Jesus. Another instance is when Jesus walked out on the water and Peter asked if he could meet him there in the waves. Jesus told him to come and Peter jumped out of the boat and walked toward Jesus on the water. However, he took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. He lost his focus. He let his faith take back seat because of the current circumstance. BUT JESUS reaches out and grabs him and reminds him to not look at what is around him but to focus on the one who can save him. And yet another time that comes to mind where the disciples were really challenged was when they went to the garden to pray with and keep watch with Jesus. How easily they fell into sleep and Jesus came back to remind them again and again to focus. To focus on and be determined to not weaken, but to be aware and stay strong. The only way that was to happen is if they learned how to actively seek God and pursue him.

Every once in awhile I will get a glimpse of where I have come from. Sometimes it's a glimpse that leads to feeling regret and other times it's being absolutely thankful that I am no longer there and that God loved me so much to never let me go. He called me back. He challenged me to focus in on Him. If I were to look at those moments in my past where some might have called me a back slider, a hypocrite, or that I just walked away from the Lord. But I look back and see it was my focus or  really where I wasn't focused. Jesus never left me, if fact he was there always. All the time I struggled because I knew he was there. It was evident, but at some point I lost my focus. He was no longer the most important thing, I was. My happiness, my struggles, my desires. It was all about me and my current circumstances which led me to fear in every direction. What if? What now? Will I ever?  It was only when I got to an absolute end and had no where to go that the Lord gently asked, "Are you done? Will you trust me and look to me?" It's here that I realize I had taken my eyes off him. In doing so I sank into the waves and was scared and yes tried to save myself in the process by trying to grab anything in reach. But Jesus put out this hand and grabbed mine so that I could focus back on who seeks and saves the lost. I have not chosen Jesus every time, Most of the time I choose myself and that is an ugly detail, not a super spiritual one, but it's true. However, the beautiful truth is that HE CHOSE ME. He loves me. He wants to teach me to be more like him. He wants to show me himself so I can have security in him and that I don't have to look to myself for the answers I don't have. And either do you. He looks at you the same way he looks at me, as a Friend, Father and Savior. 

Every day I get a choice as to where I will focus, how I will respond to him. Will I focus on where I want to be or what I don't have? Or will I focus on the one thing that never changes-on Him-Jesus. He is the one thing that remains in absolute control. Will I choose to thank him for the gifts he has given me and do the best I can today, now for his glory? Will I trust that he didn't make a mistake by calling me as his own and choosing me before I was even conceived? If I focus on him, I can stand in confidence of his control and that he holds everything together For His Glory. This is what I am learning about His Sovereignty. He knows all, controls all, and rules over all. I think that's a great place to focus.

"Looking to Jesus the founder and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." 

-Hebrews 12:2