This week's Bible Study - January 6, 2007
Breakthrough in Focus
 Background Scripture:
Psalm 145:1-21
Quote of the Week:
“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.”
Anthony Robbins
When we do we need focus in life? If you've ever worn glasses or contacts, you've likely been to an eye doctor that goes through several different lenses for you - in order to find the eyeglass prescription that best fits you. That prescription is different for most people, but the result should be the same - that when fitting properly, you can see things in focus.
Sometimes, we let our eyes go and become adjusted to seeing things not so clearly. We squint or require much light to read. As we age, our eye muscles adjust and rarely do they adjust for the better. If you are not seeing things in focus, you will have many problems in life and will likely start to have medical issues involving headaches and stress.
Focus is important in all that we do. If you are solving a difficult problem, focus is essential to staying on that problem and finding a solution. If you are an athlete, focus upon your task at hand and you will more likely find success. When we lose our focus on what we are doing in life, we find everything to be more difficult.
What does it take for us to set our focus on the Lord? Is he worthy of changes in your life to seek him? I would contend that just as you need to be able to see clearly with your physical eyes to succeed in life, you need to focus to be successful spiritually. This lesson will help to give us some reasons why we need to focus on the Lord. But, you can believe everything that is here and still not follow through. That part is up to you. What will you do?
Is there anything that you do every day? There are plenty of things that we will do from the time we are born until the time we die. Some are automatic - our hearts beat, we breathe, etc. There are other things that we must do at least nearly every day - eating and drinking. Some can go a few days without this and still live, but most of us will have something to eat and drink every day of our lives. These are things we know we need to do and we just do it, or else we suffer consequences almost immediately.
There are other things that we all know we should do, but we choose not to. At the writing of this lesson, another New Years Day has come and gone - resolutions were made and likely many of the resolutions have already been broken. Some things we know we should do, but we have such a hard time doing. Some of the things that are essential for us are eating right, exercising, appropriate amount of sleep and for believers, daily Bible Study. These are often the types of things that show up in resolutions each New Years Day. Generally, the resolutions are broken by the end of the first week of January. Why is it that we have more problems doing what we know is good for us than what is bad for us? It impacts our lives - our work, our relationships with others and our relationship with God. It seems like it would be higher on our priority list. We all deal with so many other stresses of life that tend to sidetrack us. When we don't do what we know we should, we are much more easily thrown off track.
I will exalt. I will praise. I will praise and extol. David, the writer of the Psalms, proclaims that he will exalt and praise 'my God the King'. This he would be on every day, for ever and ever. Are we willing to make such a claim and how long would we really stick with it? If you're like me, you've seen seasons of your life where you are on fire for God and are very close, and other times when you feel a million miles away. Are we still praising God? Or, have we truly forgotten who God is? If we see God as the character in the book and forget who he really is, we may find ourselves stepping back from praise. Who is God to you and is it evident on a daily basis that he is who you say he is?
This passage speaks of the greatness of the Lord - beyond any greatness that one can fathom. In the past few days, there have been several college football bowl games. Some of the players have displayed brilliant performances, breaking longstanding records. Although the performances may have been great, there will likely be someone 'greater' coming along in the future, setting new records. Even the best football performance can be outdone by a player created in a computer game. I've seen my sons do this plenty of times - of course, there aren't too many 7'10, 300 pound wide receivers in real football, at any level (except on their games). In any endeavor - sports, technology, business, medicine or whatever - there is always one who comes that does better. This cannot be said of the Lord. His greatness no one can fathom.
One generation will tell of God's mighty acts to the following generations. Think of the stories that you have heard from your grandparents. These are generally the things that meant the most to them. Various stories have been passed down across many generations. Human stories or traditions often get modified as they are told. But, some of these stories make it through many generations, with little revisions.
What will a generation speak of regarding God? There are several things mentioned in this passage alone, although there is much more that can be said about God. They will speak of God's mighty acts, the glorious splendor of his majesty and the power of his awesome works. They will celebrate his abundant goodness and sing joyfully of his righteousness. Each of these could easily be broken out into their own lesson, as we could examine instance after instance of how God had worked in these and other ways in the lives of his people. Are these things being spoken by our generation?
When people hear of these things, there is a response - especially among believers. It brings us to a point of meditation on God's wonderful works. It is a privilege to be able to recall the works of God and realize that it is the same God that is active in our lives. What has God done in your life? I contend he has done much over time - but do you recall what those things are? Keep those things in mind and it helps us to focus on God. When we focus on God, the problems that we face begin to dwindle. When we are focused on God, we will begin to proclaim his great deeds. As we tend to focus on ourselves, we find ourselves talking less and less about God. God has consistently been at work in the world since the dawn of time. We are but a blip on the screen of humanity at this given point in time. God is over the billions of people who are alive today - and he knows each one of them personally. Likewise, he has been active throughout history, so no individual comes and goes without God's providence. No situation that we face is unique to us - God has carried others through it before. Our focus should not be on our own selves and our problems, but upon God. He is able - we aren't.
The Lord is gracious. Of this, we should all be thankful. Grace is unmerited favor that is bestowed upon us. David, the writer of Psalms, was certainly able to see God's grace. Here was a man that had fallen short of God's standard for life in several areas, but turned to God and was seen as a man after God's own heart. The Lord is compassionate - or as others might say it, sympathetic. He sees our plights. He knows our troubles and even our failures. Rather than looking down on us with disdain, he is sympathetic to what we are going through. Throughout his lifetime, Jesus showed genuine compassion and sympathy for others. Some were in great distress and he wept for them. At other times, I feel sure that Jesus rejoiced with those who had cause to be happy.
The Lord is slow to anger. There may be people you know that hide their emotions pretty well and never seem to get angry. Often, when these people do get angry, they can be violent. We all experience anger at times. It may be something that happened to you or someone you love that was unjust. Or, it may be something that just seems unfair in our world. If you hit the right (or wrong) button with most anyone, you can make them very angry. What is God's button? Sin. We all deal with sin on a daily basis. I dare say that we would not come close to dealing with unrighteousness, if we were God. We see the results of anger throughout our society. If God dealt with us the way our world deals with anger, many of us would no longer be breathing.
The Lord is rich in love. He showed his love through the sending of his son. Many talk about what they would do for those they love, but they know they'd rarely, if ever, have to do it. His love never ends - it is new each day. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. It rains on the farmer's fields - whether the farmer is a believer or not. God has blessed each of us beyond what we deserve. And, God continues to bless all of us in many ways on a daily basis.
All that God has made will praise him. It is difficult to see the beauty of nature and not see the praise of God. You've probably been to a beach and sun a sunrise or sunset. You may have been skiing in the Rocky Mountains and have seen the glory of the mountains. For each of us, there are probably things that come to mind about where we see God's presence through nature. Once you know God, everywhere you look, you can see God.
The saints of the Lord will extol the Lord. They will speak of the glory of his kingdom and the power of his might. God's people share the glory of God with others. We look at evangelism as something that some believers do to reach others for the Lord. I believe that all the saints should speak of the glory of God. There is a reason that is given - so that all men may know of his mighty acts and the glorious splendor of his kingdom.
The passage speaks of the kingdom of God as en everlasting kingdom and his dominion that endures through all generations. There have been great leaders that have come upon the earth and have ruled for many years, yet now they are silent. There have been reigns of terror and other rulers of peace. They may have ruled for generations, yet they are no longer here. God's kingdom is forever and for all people.
The Lord is faithful to his promises and loving toward all he has made. There are many promises in scripture. God has given promises regarding Doubts and Fears, Family Blessings, Finances, Prayer, Protection, Security, Strength and so on. When we learn God's promises and focus upon him, He fulfills his promises in our lives. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. When we fall in life, we can know that the Lord will be there to pick us up and restore us as we turn back to him. It's much like the story of Peter walking on the water in the midst of the storm. He was fine as he was focused on Christ, but when he turned to see the storm, he began to sink. When we fall, and then bow down in reverence to our Lord, he will lift us up.
The Lord provides to all who need. We get so easily dismayed about how we handle the needs of life. As we look to God, he provides the food at the proper time. I believe most of us would rather than last phrase (at the proper time) not be included. However, God provides as we need. If we were responsible, the last phrase probably wouldn't be there - and instead of providing - it would be that the food would not be provided at the proper time or any time - at least consistently. Have you ever really thought about the logistics involved in providing for an army that is in another country? The amount of food that is needed, clothing, gas, maintenance, health services, etc. are overwhelming. I know from going camping that I can rarely spend a night somewhere without finding the local drug store to get the thing I forgot. God opens his hand and satisfies the desires of every living thing and it is right there, just in time. Just as he provided manna for the Israelites in the wilderness - what they needed, when they needed it.
Some people tend to think that the world rolls merrily along on its own. The days turn into weeks which turn into years. Seasons come and go. The circle of life among the animal kingdom takes care of itself. Farmers grow crops and everyone goes about their lives, merrily, with no thought of God. However, God holds it all together. He provides where provision is needed and he satisfies the desires of all.
This passage continues to talk about the aspects of the Lord that make him so worthy of praise. He is righteous in all his ways. When we think of human righteousness, we really have no sense of what true righteousness is. We often think that things need to turn out a certain way for us to consider God is righteous. Surely you have often thought about why bad things happen to good people and why there can be so much turmoil in our world. Would a righteous God allow that to happen? When we think about everything from our own perspective, we miss what true righteousness is. God is completely righteous, even when we cannot fathom why things happen. It's much like explaining how the world works to a 3rd grader. They can't comprehend it all.
The Lord loves all that he has made. True love is exemplified in the Lord. He is near to all who call on him in truth. When we need God and we seek him on his terms, he is near. Too often, people only call on God in the midst of tragedy - to get out of the tragedy. God desires for us to seek him often - as the passage began, on a daily basis - every day - forever and ever. God fulfills the desires of those who fear him - he hears their cry and saves them. Again, people often call and cry out to God on their own terms, with their own motives and expectations. We need to set our minds on God and then call upon his name. He desires so much for those he loves.
God watches over all who love him, but he will destroy the wicked. In our world, we see many wicked people that seem to thrive. They seem to find success when the righteous seem to find failure, from a worldly stance. God is in control and justice will ultimately be served - by him, not by us.
Closing
This passage in the book of Psalms gives us many of the remarkable aspects of our Lord. He is more than worthy of our praise. We, along with every creature should praise his holy name forever and ever.
God doesn't change. His nature remains the same - it always has and always will. He still deals with us in remarkable ways of which we very rarely deserve. The variable in the equation is always humans. We tend to be very fickle. We are encouraged to be focused upon our Lord. When our focus is on him, we can accomplish much. When we find ourselves focused inward on ourselves, we tend to fall. As believers, we know this and I believe there is something in each of us that desires to seek God with all our hearts, but that zeal is so often diminished by the rest of life.
Another thought that comes to mind is how we focus. Just as any of us that visit an eye doctor may find that we have different prescriptions that bring our eyesight back into focus, there may also be different prescriptions that help us focus on God. Generally, we know that we need to be involved in prayer and Bible Study to focus on God. But, some may find it easier to do this in the morning, some in the evening or at some other time. We get our ability to focus in different ways. For some, Christian music on the drive to/from work can be very beneficial. Having close Christian friends help us to maintain our focus. When we try and live life on our own, we often find ourselves disengaged from other Christian friends, and listening to secular music, and reading the newspaper or watching TV more than seeking God. Our focus on God is easily put to the side. Over the course of our lives, we may find ourselves at different points, which is normal. However, our focus needs to continue to be on God. What are the things that you need to do to focus on God?
As this year begins, set your focus on the things that never change. When you do so, you'll find yourself extolling the praises of your Lord. Remember, it's not all about us. This passage helps us to understand that our attitude towards God helps to share God with those around us. What do those who are around you see? Let us pray for one another and in doing so, we'll help to maintain our own focus upon the Lord.
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