Psalms 119:105 NKJV

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

As I was driving into work this morning I was deep in thought. My mind was occupied with all of the important things in front of me, those things that were immediate: the bills that were coming due, how to resolve a disagreement between my wife and me, how best to impact my teenage daughter, and, oh yes, how to keep an open mind so I could process the new things I was learning at work. In short, My mind was awash with the clutter and fog of distraction. If I were to post a poll on the site and ask what percentage of time you spend overwhelmed and distracted by your daily life; the percentages would be high. According to Gallup Politics, the number one worry in America today is the state of the economy. Here is the complete poll:

Looking at the poll results, I’m sure you can find a few, if not many of these categories to relate to. I have spent time worried about all of these things at one time or another. The worries depicted above are worries of the world and they certainly can and do cause us distress. We can liken worldly worries to the distress felt by the disciples in Matthew 14 starting in verse 24, ” But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves for the wind was contrary.” That is a wonderful picture of the world in which we live; unpredictable, rough, and dangerous.

Worldly worries come at us from every direction but that is not all we must contend with. Believers in Jesus and those moved by the Spirit to commit their lives to Him often face another worry. Simply put, they believe they have too much baggage in their past to bother with Jesus. Or, more correctly stated, They believe they have sinned too much for Him to bother with them. May people condemn themselves to a life without God simply because they feel they have done too much wrong, they believe that their lives represent too much darkness, are two damaged to be worthy of the salvation of Jesus Christ. If that is you today. Let me encourage you. Salvation is a gift and like all gifts, salvation is accepted not earned. Jesus tells us in John 3:16-17 NKJV“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Jesus came to save the whole world; not just you, not just me but all that would believe.

The question is, how do we stay focused on what is important a midst all of the distractions, the noise that this world bombards us with? The answer is simple but not easy. The answer is keep your eyes on Jesus. After all, He is what is important. The familiar account in Matthew shows us three distinct pictures they are: Jesus desire for us, the power of walking in the spirit, and effect of doing things in our own strength. Matthew 14:28-29 NKJV: And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. Jesus wants us out of our comfort zone. Have you ever noticed that He always seems to be out on the periphery, just on the edge of our comfort zone? Because He loves us, He wants us to grow, to learn and have success. The success we have in Christ brings Him glory.

Success in Christ is the key. God is in control not man. No matter the task or challenge that placed before us, God has promised to bring us through it. All we have to do is keep our eyes on Jesus. When we have the spiritual courage and faith the make the Lord a “lamp” unto our feet. We realize the only way to go is forward; forward with our eyes on Him.