Good Morning!
Let’s focus our day by spending some time with Jesus before it begins.
If you’re new to the Daily Focus, read this first, & use as much or little as you’d like.
GET FOCUSED | Start by simply thanking God for who He is & what He’s done.
+ Practice gratitude while singing/playing some worship music from Paradox on Spotify.
+ Spend a few moments meditating on today’s Old Testament Scripture: Job 39
+ From your reading, finish the sentence “God, you are ___.”
Take time to thank & worship God for the ways you’ve seen Him be/do that in your life.
MORNING PRAYER FOCUS | Prayer involves both talking and listening to God.
+ Pray the Lord’s Prayer, or slow down to pray it using this Lord’s Prayer guide.
+ Use “Lectio Divina” to listen to God in this morning’s Psalm: Psalm 57:1-6
Reading 1 = Focus. What is one word or phrase that Holy Spirit puts on your heart?
Reading 2 = Feelings. Focus on that word or phrase while you read. What do you feel? What specific situation in your life today relates? Reflect and talk with God about it.
Reading 3 = Invitation. What is God’s personal invitation to you from the Scripture?
Take time to journal anything you feel the Lord might be saying to you.
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FOCUS | Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth.
Today’s New Testament reading is from 1 Corinthians 10:11-22
Highlight verses that capture your attention, and ask three simple questions as you read…
Observe. Pay attention to what the text says. Ask who, what, when, where, & why.
Interpret. What’s the main point or meaning? What does it teach about God? Yourself?
Apply. Apply this truth to your own life. What can you put into practice today?
A THOUGHT FROM TODAY’S READING…
Now God gets to speak. Up until now, Job, his wife and his 3 friends all have had something to say about Job's situation.God tells Job to "Gird his loins," get ready because the real truth is coming and it is coming from the Head Man himself! Job has been suffering for a long time. I am not sure how long, but he has endured a lot of loss and physical pain. Too much for one man to endure without the help of God! We all will suffer. Not something I enjoy saying, but it is true. How we look at suffering makes all the difference in how we endure our suffering. We each look at suffering through different lenses. Some use blessing lenses, some punishment lenses, some self-pity lenses. Some just have blinders on. I don't know anyone who purposely asks for suffering, who asks for cancer or MS or allergies or CIDP or divorce, or death or even a cold. No one says, "Put me in,Coach. I'll take a disease or two!" How we deal with suffering depends on where we are looking. Living with a person in chronic pain has taught me that suffering can make you turn in on yourself. You only know pain. You wake up to pain and go to bed with pain. Suffering lenses are tough to wear. For Job, God set him straight and showed him that the only real hope in suffering is to focus on Him. He reminds Job of His great power. Vs.5-who.knows when the wild donkey will go free Vs.9, who knows when the wild.ox will consent to serve you Vs.26, does the Hawk take flight by your consent? Just a few of the ways God helps Job to refocus and look to Him. THIS WAS NOT AN EASY TASK! Job had to let go of his lenses of suffering and exchange them for the wisdom lenses of God. You might call them "Joy" lenses because that is what Jesus did for us. In Hebrews, it says, "but for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of God." We are that joy! God is with us in our suffering. We have a living God who knows what pain and suffering is. I have to remind myself of that a lot. But if I keep my eyes on Him, I too can have lenses of Joy, and Jesus will meet me in my pain. - Mary Spix
EVENING PRAYER FOCUS | Re-Focus on Jesus by returning to prayer each evening.
Replay = Replay your day. What made you happy, joyful, anxious, or burdened?
Rejoice = Give thanks to God for the small and the significant things from the day.
Repent = Ask God for forgiveness where you need. Receive His forgiveness afresh.
Refocus = Ask to see God’s presence more clearly & walk w/ Him more closely tomorrow.
+ Practice hearing from God by asking questions like, “Father, what do you want me to know about you?” or “Father, what do you want to say about your love for me?” Simply be still and listen, or journal anything that comes to mind. Learn more about hearing from God using the Tending Your Heart guide.
SHARE THE FOCUS |
+ Pray a Ripple Prayer or use Nations Prayer to pray for the nations & those serving them.
+ Text someone an encouragement, or share a thought/question with us in the Forum.
+ Invite someone to read the Focus with you. Text “FOCUS” to (586) 200-6277.
+ Who can you share what you’re learning with today personally?
That’s all for today.
Stay focused on Jesus, and make it a great one!
