According to a recent study by Smart Growth America, pedestrian fatalities are at a 30-year high.
The main reason for this increase is because drivers are distracted.
Most people think they are pretty good at multitasking, thinking they can text, talk on the phone, and drive at the same time.
Since this is a delusion, it has made it much more dangerous for people to cross the street.
What drivers need to do is focus on their driving and not be distracted while they are driving.
Sometimes, we need to focus on what is most important in life.
When trials or temptations come, it can be easy for us to be distracted by them.
Our flesh wants to quickly try to put out this fire or that fire.
We can get distracted from our main focus, which is Christ.
Hebrews 12:2 in the Amplified Bible reads this way:
“Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus.”
David in Psalm 27:4 reminds us that only one thing is really necessary,
“One thing I ask from the Lord, and this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.”
Dwelling in the house of the Lord means personal, spiritual intimacy with Him.
So, David desired most of all to have intimacy with the Father. He longs to be in God’s presence where there is safety, protection, and joy (vv. 5–6).
Time in the presence of God allowed David to meet his trials with the proper perspective because the Lord was his focus.
The greatest gift that God could give David would be the privilege and joy of spending time contemplating and reflecting on the wonderful character of his God.
Note David’s singleness of his focus, one thing, which is the best answer to distractions in life.
Also notice his priorities within that focus, which was a preoccupation with God’s Person and His will.
This gave David the confidence that God would hear his cries for help and empower him to be able to “be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”
Do we have trouble keeping your eyes focused on Christ?
We can become so focused on our difficulties that we take our eyes off of Jesus.
But David reminds us in Psalm 27 to keep our eyes on Him.
Golf immortal, Arnold Palmer, recalls a lesson: It was the final hole of the 1961 Masters tournament, and I had a one-stroke lead and had just hit a very satisfying tee shot. I felt I was in pretty good shape. As I approached my ball, I saw an old friend standing at the edge of the gallery. He motioned me over, stuck out his hand and said, “Congratulations.” I took his hand and shook it, but as soon as I did, I knew I had lost my focus. On my next two shots, I hit the ball into a sand trap, then put it over the edge of the green. I missed a putt and lost the Masters. You don’t forget a mistake like that; you just learn from it and become determined that you will never do that again. I haven’t in the 30 years since.
May we not lose our focus and keep it on Christ!
Blessings!
Pastor Ken Keeler, Director of Church Ministries