Focus

Genesis 3:1-6 (KJV) Says, "Now the serpent was more subtile than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."

In the above passage of scripture the serpent although created by God is used by Satan to tempt Eve. Satan will use whatever he can in order to tempt us in hopes of causing us to stray from our walk with God. The Bible tells us, Satan roams the earth looking for people to devour. The Word of God makes clear that temptations will come before us in this world, and Jesus demonstrates for us how to resist these temptations.

It is of the utmost importance that we maintain a strong personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We must focus on him, and on what is pleasing and right in his eyes. The Garden of Eden was filled with beautiful trees all of which Adam and Eve were permitted to eat from with the exception of one single tree that sat in the middle of the garden. God had forbidden Adam and Eve from touching or eating the fruit of  the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and so Satan used this one tree to tempt Eve. As we know, she failed to resist that temptation. Adam capable of making his own decisions followed suit. When Satan working through the serpent began discussing the tree of the knowledge of good and evil with Eve she became focused on it. Satan made the forbidden tree out to be greatly desired, and lied to Eve about what the consequences would be if she went against God, and ate the fruit of it. She had plenty of beautiful trees filled with food surrounding this one tree, and when tempted she became solely focused on it knowing that it was forbidden. When Satan is successful at drawing our focus onto something of this world that he knows will cause us to stray, he is drawing our focus away from God and nothing pleases him more.

If we want our lives to be filled with peace, contentment, and joy then we must remain focused on God, and resist the temptations that Satan sends our way. We were given freewill by God, and thereby we have the right to choose which path we will take in our lives, and whose plan we will follow. We can choose to follow the plan that God has for us and walk the path of righteousness, or we can follow our own path, and the plan we've created. The Word of God tells us in Proverbs 4:18-19 (KJV) "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble." The Bible is filled with examples of those who have chosen to follow God and live their lives in a righteous manner, and the blessings of peace, joy, and contentment that come along with that. It also contains many examples of those who chose to live their lives focused on the things of this world, and who opted not to follow God and live righteously and the consequences that come along with doing so.

I assure you that the difference between the life you can have if you choose to focus on God and live your life in a manner that is pleasing to him, and the life you will have if you choose to focus on the things of this world going after those are polar opposites. I urge you to take a moment to consider that God is our divine creator. Ask yourself who knows better what is best for you. Is it Almighty God who created you, or you his creation and child? Do you have more wisdom than God? Do parents not know better than their children what is best for them? Do parents not want their children to have the best possible life they can have? Of course they do, just as God wants what is best for his children.

I encourage you to focus on God, and live your life in a manner that is pleasing to him. You will be blessed and rewarded for it, and you will be choosing the best life possible. Choosing to focus on God and follow the path and plan he has for us is to exercise wisdom. Choosing to focus on the things of this world and follow our own path and plan thinking that we know better than our Divine Creator, Almighty God, is nothing short of foolish. As I mentioned above God has given each of us a freewill which permits us to make our own choices. With that said,  I urge you to choose wisely. Focus on God, trust him, build a strong personal relationship with him, resist the temptations that Satan sends your way, and live the blessed life that God has planned for you.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, send me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.