BBD 01.06.14 Refocus (Classic)

#1 · January 6, 2014, 7:09 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on January 6, 2014, 7:09 pm
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The
Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating
15 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush
Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000
subscribers across the world.

You can
leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

There is
a translation tool on theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of
all of the pages.

The Burning Bush Devotional

14,000 Subscribers
to the Email Devotional

Classic from 2005

01.06.14

Refocus

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these
things shall be added to you. - Matthew 6:33.

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself,
lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. - Hebrews 12:3.

Julia Bauer who lives in Bochum, Germany was driving to
work one morning when she lost control of her car. She smashed into a parked
car and then into a lamppost causing damage of around $27,000. Julia lost
control of her vehicle while she was preparing her breakfast. She was pouring
milk into her cereal, and the bowl slipped. Julia tried to catch the bowl while
it was falling, which resulted in the crash of her car when her attention was
diverted from driving.

Julia might tell you that she was multi-tasking. A police
officer would tell you that Julia was inattentive to her driving. Her focus had
shifted from driving to preparing breakfast and the falling bowl. The result
was bad, but it could have been so much worse. At least there was no loss of
life.

It is now the year 2014 and with a New Year comes the
opportunity to make what we used to call resolutions. However, instead of
making resolutions, maybe we ought to refocus. The dictionary defines the word “focus” as “A
center of activity or interest.” With a new
year, we should at least take time to consider what our major focus of life is
at this point. What is your focus, your primary focus right now? How does this
focus line up with the focus the Bible tells us we ought to have?

Jesus tells us plainly what should be our primary focus
in Matthew 6:33. It may be your life is so busy that you think, how can
I do that? Jesus adds, “and all these things
shall be added to you.” This means that if we
have the Kingdom of God, Jesus as our primary focus everything else in our life
will work out as God would have it to. It is a matter of faith. Do we believe
the Word of God to be true or not?

Hebrews 12:3 gives us some additional benefits of having
the right focus “lest you become weary and discouraged in your
souls.” I think we know what that means. It means
that when we do not have the right focus we tend to become stressed, depressed,
worried, and things start to come apart in our lives instead of coming
together.

Here are some suggestions for refocusing:

Read through the Bible in a year.

Spend 15 minutes or more in prayer every day.

Attend church regularly, faithfully.

Give financially and of your time to the Kingdom of God.

Remember the 10 commandments are not just suggestions.

To make a commitment to refocusing your life a good place
to start is 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.” Because if the Kingdom of God is not our
primary focus we have sinned and we are not in a right relationship with our
Lord.

Resolutions and commitments are such fragile things and
rarely are they kept over a long period of time. However, without a commitment
of the heart, there will never be a change, and there will never be a refocus
of your heart. If you will keep this commitment of refocus, you will see as you
live life over a period of years that truly “all these things” have been “added to you.” You will be blessed,
and God’s hand will be upon your life.

Before the moment of opportunity slips away, REFOCUS!!!!

Copyright © 2005-2014. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent
to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
No matter what the size your church, Ed will come on a love offering basis for
a revival or to share his testimony in the continental United States. You can
make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn
profile with endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Please pray for
Scott who is having severe headaches caused by a cyst. Many prayer needs are
posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also
post your prayer requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer -
please pray for me.).

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group.
The group began in 1998 and is made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer
requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo
devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may
subscribe to the html text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is
only being sent now in html format) by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the
confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

--

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org

Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

The
Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating
15 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush
Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000
subscribers across the world.

You can
leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

There is
a translation tool on theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of
all of the pages.

The Burning Bush Devotional

14,000 Subscribers
to the Email Devotional

Classic from 2005

01.06.14

Refocus

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these
things shall be added to you. - Matthew 6:33.

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself,
lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. - Hebrews 12:3.

Julia Bauer who lives in Bochum, Germany was driving to
work one morning when she lost control of her car. She smashed into a parked
car and then into a lamppost causing damage of around $27,000. Julia lost
control of her vehicle while she was preparing her breakfast. She was pouring
milk into her cereal, and the bowl slipped. Julia tried to catch the bowl while
it was falling, which resulted in the crash of her car when her attention was
diverted from driving.

Julia might tell you that she was multi-tasking. A police
officer would tell you that Julia was inattentive to her driving. Her focus had
shifted from driving to preparing breakfast and the falling bowl. The result
was bad, but it could have been so much worse. At least there was no loss of
life.

It is now the year 2014 and with a New Year comes the
opportunity to make what we used to call resolutions. However, instead of
making resolutions, maybe we ought to refocus. The dictionary defines the word “focus” as “A
center of activity or interest.” With a new
year, we should at least take time to consider what our major focus of life is
at this point. What is your focus, your primary focus right now? How does this
focus line up with the focus the Bible tells us we ought to have?

Jesus tells us plainly what should be our primary focus
in Matthew 6:33. It may be your life is so busy that you think, how can
I do that? Jesus adds, “and all these things
shall be added to you.” This means that if we
have the Kingdom of God, Jesus as our primary focus everything else in our life
will work out as God would have it to. It is a matter of faith. Do we believe
the Word of God to be true or not?

Hebrews 12:3 gives us some additional benefits of having
the right focus “lest you become weary and discouraged in your
souls.” I think we know what that means. It means
that when we do not have the right focus we tend to become stressed, depressed,
worried, and things start to come apart in our lives instead of coming
together.

Here are some suggestions for refocusing:

Read through the Bible in a year.

Spend 15 minutes or more in prayer every day.

Attend church regularly, faithfully.

Give financially and of your time to the Kingdom of God.

Remember the 10 commandments are not just suggestions.

To make a commitment to refocusing your life a good place
to start is 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.” Because if the Kingdom of God is not our
primary focus we have sinned and we are not in a right relationship with our
Lord.

Resolutions and commitments are such fragile things and
rarely are they kept over a long period of time. However, without a commitment
of the heart, there will never be a change, and there will never be a refocus
of your heart. If you will keep this commitment of refocus, you will see as you
live life over a period of years that truly “all these things” have been “added to you.” You will be blessed,
and God’s hand will be upon your life.

Before the moment of opportunity slips away, REFOCUS!!!!

Copyright © 2005-2014. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent
to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
No matter what the size your church, Ed will come on a love offering basis for
a revival or to share his testimony in the continental United States. You can
make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn
profile with endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Please pray for
Scott who is having severe headaches caused by a cyst. Many prayer needs are
posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also
post your prayer requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer -
please pray for me.).

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group.
The group began in 1998 and is made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer
requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo
devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may
subscribe to the html text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is
only being sent now in html format) by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the
confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org