Living Simply— Yet Focused
May 18, 2010
Look at the birds of the air . . . . Consider the lilies of the field . . . —Matthew 6:26, 28

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin”— they simply are! Think of the sea, the air, the sun, the stars, and the moon— all of these simply are as well— yet what a ministry and service they render on our behalf! So often we impair God’s designed influence, which He desires to exhibit through us, because of our own conscious efforts to be consistent and useful. Jesus said there is only one way to develop and grow spiritually, and that is through focusing and concentrating on God. In essence, Jesus was saying, “Do not worry about being of use to others; simply believe on Me.” In other words, pay attention to the Source, and out of you “will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38 ). We cannot discover the source of our natural life through common sense and reasoning, and Jesus is teaching here that growth in our spiritual life comes not from focusing directly on it, but from concentrating on our Father in heaven. Our heavenly Father knows our circumstances, and if we will stay focused on Him, instead of our circumstances, we will grow spiritually— just as “the lilies of the field.”
The people who influence us the most are not those who detain us with their continual talk, but those who live their lives like the stars in the sky and “the lilies of the field”— simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mold and shape us.
If you want to be of use to God, maintain the proper relationship with Jesus Christ by staying focused on Him, and He will make use of you every minute you live— yet you will be unaware, on the conscious level of your life, that you are being used of Him.

I just came out of an awesome revival in Columbus, OH. One of my favorite ministers, Bro. Leo Calvin Price, preached a service that spoke volumes of God’s wisdom into my heart. Talking about restoration, he made this observation: “God doesn’t restore us to what was, but what He intended us to be.” Wow. I was floored by that insight! I’ve felt God’s hand doing just that day by day in my life. This morning I was reading the entries of my prayer journal dating back a couple of months to today, and I was amazed by how God worked through the trial. Things I prayed about before the storm, God used the storm to bring out of me! Though, when I was going through it I felt nothing was going right or that any prayer was being answered. In fact, I felt like I was going backwards! “Restored to what He intended.” God can do two things at one time. Restore and fulfill his plan. Mind blowing, isn’t it? Remember Joseph? Thrown in prison, spent years there, yet with the favor of the Lord….a prisoner, but DESTINED for leadership. He was restored to the intended. God has the BEST of intentions for you! Sometimes He takes us through the storm, gives us favor in prison, all to restore us to that intended place with Him because life will happen. And we must be restored. I’m thankful that we never go back to what was….even though you may not feel it now, you are changed. If God has taken you through anything, you are not the same as before! Gently and patiently He leads us. He loves us. Braking us to make us, just like the Master Potter He is!  Now, there’s hope!