When Your Focus Isn't Where It Needs To Be
There have been a lot of times in my life where I have lost focus on the Lord. I am ashamed to say it but I find myself focusing more on myself or my problems than on the one who is able to see me through. In the 18th Chapter of Isaiah, the prophet notes that the Lord is quietly sitting waiting for things to mature:
[Is 18:4] For thus the LORD has told me,
“I will look *from My dwelling place quietly
Like dazzling heat in the *sunshine,
Like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”
[5] For before the harvest, as soon as the bud *blossoms
And the flower becomes a ripening grape,
Then He will cut off the sprigs with pruning knives
And remove and cut away the spreading branches.
What this verse is teaching is that the Lord has great patience. He sits quietly waiting for things to unfold, knowing full well what is going to occur and when. The Lord is the one who knows the end from the beginning. He can afford to be quiet because everything will occur in its right time and season. In this particular case He is waiting for Assyria to come to the place where they once again will come forth to battle but in this case the Lord will be waiting to decimate their ranks. We have this tendency, because we do not know the future, to trust in ourselves and not to have the patience to wait things out for the Lord's timing. If we would only trust in Him and wait for His leading on things we would be much better off. In fact, if we were to always trust in Him, we wouldn't need to fear the future because He has already told us in His word that He has great plans for us. Time to be quiet and know that He is God.
- LW
[Is 18:4] For thus the LORD has told me,
“I will look *from My dwelling place quietly
Like dazzling heat in the *sunshine,
Like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”
[5] For before the harvest, as soon as the bud *blossoms
And the flower becomes a ripening grape,
Then He will cut off the sprigs with pruning knives
And remove and cut away the spreading branches.
What this verse is teaching is that the Lord has great patience. He sits quietly waiting for things to unfold, knowing full well what is going to occur and when. The Lord is the one who knows the end from the beginning. He can afford to be quiet because everything will occur in its right time and season. In this particular case He is waiting for Assyria to come to the place where they once again will come forth to battle but in this case the Lord will be waiting to decimate their ranks. We have this tendency, because we do not know the future, to trust in ourselves and not to have the patience to wait things out for the Lord's timing. If we would only trust in Him and wait for His leading on things we would be much better off. In fact, if we were to always trust in Him, we wouldn't need to fear the future because He has already told us in His word that He has great plans for us. Time to be quiet and know that He is God.
- LW