“I was reading in Luke’s gospel the other night,” Stan commented one morning, “and I saw a simple statement about Jesus that strikes me as something really important about my faith walk.”
“Don’t you think everything about Jesus is important for your faith walk?” I asked.
“You’re right, of course,” Stan replied, “but what I was looking at narrows it down to keep me focused.”
“Keep you focused?” I said. “What were you looking at?”
“When Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem to go to the cross and eventually to return to heaven,” Stan replied, “Luke records that Jesus ‘resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem’. That’s what His Father had for Him to do. And I think I’m to do the same thing.”
“Set your face to go to Jerusalem?” I asked.
“If that’s where God wants me to go,” Stan replied with a smile, “But it’s really that I’m to be focused on wherever God has for me to go, as well as focused on whatever He has for me to do when I get there. I am to be focused so I am not distracted from what God has for me.”
“Not distracted?” I said. “In what way might you be distracted?”
“Plural,” Stan replied. “Ways. There are virtually an unlimited number of ways I can be distracted from doing what God has for me to do, as well as being distracted from being what He has for me to be.”
“It seems to me,” he continued, “that’s one of Satan’s primary goals in dealing with Christians. He wants to distract us from living the lives God intends. He knows he can’t do anything about our eternal destination to be with God forever once we have made a true commitment, but he sure can cause havoc with a Christian’s personal testimony on this side of eternity. I’ve had a lot of experience with being easily distracted like that and I don’t recommend it!”
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Bible verses to consider:
And it came about, when the days were approaching for His ascension, that He resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem. Luke 9:51.
Let your eyes look directly ahead, and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn you foot from evil. Proverbs 4:25-27.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving Jesus as the way to you for eternity. Thank you for His obedience in going to the cross to finish what you sent Him to do. Thank you that He was resolute in doing what you had for Him to do. I confess that too often I am not resolute in being and doing what you intend for me. Please forgive the foolishness of trying to live this life without being obedient. Please help me in not being so easily distracted. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Jesus was obedient in going to the cross so you could accept His finished work and know you will spend eternity in God’s presence when it’s time. Have you accepted what He did? If no, why? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with your obedience to what God has for you to be and to do? Are you easily distracted from what He wants for you? If you would like to be more resolute and less distracted, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 