Look up. These two words can keep you from running into problems. In our day it seems that everyone is hopelessly distracted by social media or the latest news cycle. Everyone has their own opinion, and many times, it is just that: their opinion. The problem with opinions: they are not always cold hard facts, but embellished so that they can easily be misinterpreted.

As a Christian, we must learn to filter all the voices that we hear competing for our attention, through the word of God. For me, the bible is the only true account of facts. If the Lord doesn’t lead me to a scripture that resolves my confusion, immediately, then, I have learned to wait for the answer through prayer. The bible is our guide to move forward through the seasons of our life, and when we fail to read it, we find ourselves frustrated and fearful of the uncertain future.

Today, in 2 Timothy 1:7, I find this, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” I don’t have to be uncertain and fearful.

When we lose our focus; we lose our balance. Proverbs chapter 4 shows us how to apply God’s word to our lives. It ends with, Proverbs 4: 24-27:

“Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. ²⁵Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. ²⁶Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. ²⁷Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.”

We can let the word of God speak to us, for such a time as this. It is the authority, but too often we wait until dire circumstances before we see what the bible has to say about it. If you are one to ask for directions or instructions only after you have exhausted all of your own resources, then you know what I’m talking about.

For example, if you are taking a trip, you need to be sure you are traveling in the right direction or you’ll never get there. There are no real substitute ingredients in some recipes, although there may be some happy mistakes made, like the time my mom decided to make a homemade pecan pie, but the end result was pecan brittle. Although she was never able to repeat that delicious mistake, we did not complain.

We can find a peace that passes all understanding when we trust in the Lord. Everything will be alright. I have confidence in Jesus Christ and he continues to order my steps.

In this week’s Lattereign we are reminded that no matter how confusing life gets for us we must learn to  Stay Focused on Your Purpose. (Click on the link to open the newsletter in a new window.)