Orange Moon Cafe “God’s Focus”

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe… 

"God's Focus"   

     Perhaps you heard about the man who entered a hospital emergency room in great distress, clutching his chest, his face blue, and giving every indication of being in cardiac arrest.  A nurse rushed to him, had him lie down on a stretcher, and begin administering CPR.  The man arose from the stretcher, pushed the nurse away, and screamed at her.  "What are you doing?" he cried.  He then held up a finger, on which a tiny abrasion could be seen if one looked closely enough.  "Can't you see I've cut my finger?!"

   "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart…. Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life" (I Samuel 16:7; Proverbs 4:23).

    God focuses on the internals of our being, knowing that if He redeems our hearts, our attitudes, words, and deeds will flow accordingly.  Thus, He sends the Holy Spirit to dwell within us when we believe in the Lord Jesus, revealing His character and nature in the innermost sanctum of our being.

    "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us… God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father" (Romans 5:5; Galatians 4:6).

   Because we presently "walk by faith, not by sight," we may forget, neglect, or ignore the fact of the Lord's presence in our hearts (II Corinthians 5:7).  His emphasis is not always ours.  Our fleshly tendency involves centralizing outward realities.  Such things matter, both to God and ourselves.  However, our Heavenly Father is devoted to the inside-out work of grace whereby He sanctifies, settles, and strengthens our hearts through His living Word, Christ, and His written Word, the Bible.  Thereby we find ourselves enabled to far more consistently walk in faith and faithfulness, and far more in the peace of God's heart as revealed in our own.  "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).

   The risen Christ dwells within the innermost spiritual being of believers.  Our hearts are His home.  Such reality seems beyond comprehension.  To a great degree, it is, and because we presently walk by faith, the gift may sometimes be minimized.  We therefore do well to remember the truth, encourage one another accordingly, and seek to maintain focus on our hearts, even as we necessarily address the numerous realities of life that demand our attention.  We will do far better with those  as we join the Lord in His emphasis, namely, His focus on the heart that results in better thinking, acting, speaking, and relating in a manner that reveals the presence of Christ in us.

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

(II Corinthians 4:6)

Weekly Memory Verse

     Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

(Philippians 2:12-13)

  

5732