God you have my attention, now what! Where do I go from here.

Lately there have been two words that keep coming up for me repeatedly & almost everyday. Focus & Choice! These 2 words have been coming up in what I'm reading, blogs, devotions, e-mails & texts. They've also been coming up in conversations & videos I've been watching on the internet. So I've realized that this can't be just a coincidence, it has to be God wanting me to understand something. But what is it? That I'm not sure of. My quiet time has been back to suffering again. I've been having so much trouble calming down, relaxing & keeping other thoughts from my mind anytime I sit down to spend quietly with the Lord. I hate to admit it but I've been giving up on my quiet time when this keeps happening each time. Not a good response! I know I should be doing it anyway, persevering through but it's been a struggle to get done this last week.

Yesterday I started thinking about those two words, Focus & Choice. This morning I decided to get out my concordance & look them up but guess what, there is nothing for focus. So I got on the computer & looked up synonyms for focus & I found one that was in the concordance, Direct, directed, directs. So I spenp some time this morning looking up the verses listed under each & found some that I liked & thought fit for what I was looking for.

Here they are...

Direct


Psalm 119:35
Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.

Psalm 119:133
Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.

Jeremiah 10:23
I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.

Here are the study notes for Jeremiah 10:23-24
God's ability to direct our lives well is infinitely beyond our ability. Sometimes we are afraid of God's power & God's plans because we know his power would easily crush us if her used it against us. Don't be afraid to let God correct your plans. He will give you wisdom if you are willing.

2 Thessalonians 3:5

May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love & Christ's perseverance.


Directed

Proverbs 20:24

A man's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own ways?

Here are the study notes for Proverbs 20:24
We are so often confused by the events around us. Many things we will never understand; others will fall into place in years to come as we look back & see how God was working. This proverb counsels us not to worryif we don't understand everything as it happens. Instead, we should trust that God knows what he's doing, even if his timing or design is not clear to us.
See Psalm 37:23 for a reassuring promise of God's direction in your life.

Psalm 37:23

If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;

Here are the study notes for Psalm 37:23-24
The person in whom God delights is one who follows God, trusts him & tries to do his will. God watches over & makes firm every step that person takes. If you would like to have God direct your way, then seek his advice before you step out.


Directs

Psalm 42:8

By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me - A prayer to the God of my life.

Isaiah 48:17

This is what the Lord says - your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.

Here are the study notes for Isaiah 48: 17-18
Like a loving parent, God teaches & directs us. We should listen to him because Peace & Righteousness come to us as we oby his word. Refusing to pay attention to God's commands invites punishment & threatens that Peace & Righteousness.

Now to give this all some thought & figure out what God is trying to get through to me.

Morning Devotion

This mornings devotion reinforces for me what I heard God saying to me last night in my quiet time!

Aug. 5
Sit Quietly In My Presence while I bless you. Make your mind like a still pool of water, ready to receive whatever thoughts I drop into it. Rest in My sufficiency, as you consider the challenges this day presents. Do not wear yoursefl out by worrying about whether you can cope with the pressures. Keep looking to Me & communicating with Me, as we walk through this day together.

Take time to rest by the wayside, for I am not in a hurry. A leisurely pace accomplishes more than hurried striving. When you rush, you forget who you are & Whose you are. Remember that you are royalty in My kingdom.

Psalm 37:7;  Romans 8:16-17;  1 Peter 2:9

Psalm 37:7
Be still before the Lord & wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Romans 8:16-17
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God & co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order taht we may also share in his glory.

1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.


Last night in my quiet time, I felt God telling me " Do not rush. Take your time, doing a little each day. I will show you when & where to stop & rest. You will get there when the time is right."

I still feel this to be true this morning. I try to put my all into anything I do which is a good thing & also a bad thing at times too. When I put my all into doing something, I really put my all into it. Then my perfectionistic tendencies come out & I get consumed easy, often times neglecting other duties in my life. I feel like this is happening with my wanting to learn all that I can of God's word. While that's a great thing to want to do, if I'm neglecting other responsibilities then I'm not honoring God in the right way.

I'm looking for that right balance when it comes to my everyday responsibilities, my quiet time, Bible studies & reading/studying my Bible, being in God's word. I've been losing my focus lately & getting all consumed easily. I'm working on so many things at once & getting overwhelmed.

I'm chosing to listen to God, slowing down, stopping & resting when I feel God telling me to do so. While I'm anxious to learn, grow & heal, I also see the point in slowing down too. When I rush to learn, grow & heal then it's not lasting, It's fleeting. Real, lasting learning growth & healing takes time. However much time that consists of is up to God's perfect timing. I'm choosing to slow down & trust in God's timing. I'll get there & I'm not stopping, just slowing down to take in the deeper meaning.