I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Psalm 16:8
What does it mean to set the Lord always before you? It means that you choose to relate everything you encounter to your trust in God. What you choose to focus on becomes the dominant influence in your life. You may be a Christian, but if your focus is always on your problems, your problems will determine the direction of your life. If your focus is on people, then people will determine what you think and do. In biblical times, the right hand was the most distinguished position, reserved for one's chief adviser and supporter. When you choose to focus on Christ, you invite Him to take the most important position in your life as Counselor and Defender. Every time you face a new experience, you should turn to Christ for His interpretation and strength. When people insult you and mistreat you, you should seek direction from your Counselor regarding the right response. When you face a crisis, you should receive strength from the One at your right hand. When you experience need, you should consult your Counselor before you react. When you face a fearful situation, you should take courage from the Advocate at your right hand. Everything you do is in the context of your relationship to Christ. What an incredible act of God's grace that Christ should stand beside you to guide you and counsel you and defend you! How could you ever become dismayed over your situation with Christ at your right hand? What confidence this should give you! Blackaby Experiencing God Day by Day
It is interesting that the business world makes attempts at mimicking God's Word without references to it. The idea of setting your mind on something as this devotional points to is the same as I have seen and read in many corporate Cardinal Rules on focus. The notion of being focused is the same regardless of how or who says it.
What you may not know nor understand is Satan may have been the most beautiful of Angels when God created him, but being creative is not a part of his nature. He only keeps reusing what has worked in the past to try for better results in the future.
I really do believe there's a far deeper truth to what's repeated the most often in Ecclesiastes. "There's nothing new under the sun."
We may think innovation is the future, but it's really the past, repeated.
Our minds, for the last 5-6 thousand years have degraded due to the radiation from the sun. Prior to the Genesis Flood, mankind had 100% use of their brains. What they wanted to create they could do with very little effort. Proof has been left by God through fossils and what was thought to be geode. Finding technology we cannot explain nor duplicate.
I personally believe that Noah and his family did not NEED 100 plus years to build the Ark. I believe they intentionally built it without power tools. Thus yet again fulfilling as yet unwritten Scripture that God is unwilling that any should perish but that all would have eternal life.
The Father's business is to seek and save the lost. It's our living lives that show Jesus to a lost world. It is dependent upon our focus on a life dedicated to the One who saved us.
We do so much these days we don't realize we are putting God on our schedule, not the other way around.
We gorge on data at work, at home, spending money trying to get away from everything.
Satan knows the value of overload. Knows that most just don't know when to quit.
Knows that the frog in the frying pan is pretty much everyone. Start when they are young to slowly turn up the heat. They just won't jump out.
I was disturbed by even some of the attributes a company posted that they were looking for in leadership. To be a zealot for the company. To be an evangelist for the company. Focused on promoting the company.
All things that take the person's attention away from everything else. From family and most importantly from God.
Satan's loves it when we easily convince ourselves to do, say, or think things that God says we ought not. His work is done when we do it to ourselves. No need to assign a demon to anyone who is already obeying him.
Joshua stood up and proclaimed who his allegiance was to. As for him and his family they would serve the Lord. Are the pleasures of this life, the desires of your heart, the thoughts you consider, do they point to a life that's really apart from God?
This last year has made it difficult to be in a physical Church setting. I personally believe that was one of the real intentions behind it. The Church stands for what God has said and the world wants to relish sin. Wants to celebrate sin. Wants to encourage and enjoy sin.
Satan will continue to try to influence your thoughts. He cannot possess a believer. But he can assign a demon to keep whispering in your ears. Every believer is already filled with the Spirit of God. There's just our allowing the Spirit to work in us that's the condition. Nobody goes to a service or meeting to get filled with the Spirit other than to be saved. Obedience to the Word of God allows more of the Spirit to work in us, to make us more like Christ and less like us.
You must choose to focus on Christ and not on your circumstances.
You must choose obedience to Christ and not the ways of the world.
You must choose to think on the Word of God and to pray, giving the Spirit more and more of you.
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