Out Of Focus!!
On Friday, I was being very introspective. Looking within, contemplating my thoughts, my feelings, a self examination.
It can be a good thing, but sometimes we can allow it to take our focus off of our walk with the Lord. To focus on all the things that are “wrong”, the things that we are angry about as I did Friday.
I got really upset. Angry because my medications from the VA Medical Center has not shown up. I got angry with social security, because of my dealings with them. I got angry about my divorce.
I was angry because of having to be dependent on others and I was really angry because of dealing with constant pain. I was so angry at so many things that I lost my focus on the Lord. Instead of calling on the Lord. I dwelt on myself. The only one that knew I was angry was the Lord and me.
But I did do a wise thing. I gave my best friend in Texas, Lewis a call and let him know what was going on. That I was going through some spiritual warfare and I needed some prayer support and that is what I got.
Though we are several thousand miles apart we were able to unite in prayer and I was blessed and strengthen by the prayers of my brother in the Lord and likewise I was able to take the focus off me and was able to pray for my friend Lewis.
It is when we go through these times that we draw strength from one another. That we can unite in spirit and find strength in the Lord and it will enable us to press on and into the things of the Lord.
So if you find yourself being very introspective, look up and not in, for when we look up to the Lord, then we allow Him to look within and deal with the anger, the hurts, the pains, the things that take our focus off the Lord.
It is during these times that the Lord inclines His ear towards us, as David says in Psalms 40:1, that he ultimately hears, He answers persevering prayer. Barnes in his commentary says the word “inclined” here means properly “bowed”, that is, He “bent forward” to hearken or place His ear near David’s mouth to hear him. Is that not awesome.
Matthew Henry’s commentary says of David in this Psalm: God answered his, David’s prayers. He inclined unto David and heard His cry. He goes on to say that those who wait on the Lord, though they may wait long, do not wait in vain!
Again an awesome promise. That our Father will incline His ear towards us to hear and not only to hear, but He will lift us up out of the pit of despair, of anger, of pain and set us on a solid foundation.
What a promise and what hope is there in this. Let us also incline our ears toward the Lord that we might hear that still small voice and respond to it and be made strong in the Lord as we are obedient to the word of God, to the life that it brings as we are lifted up and out of the pit and sit on a solid, unmovable foundation.
Till later,
Paul