ReFocus

"Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
Psalm 51:10-12

Sometimes, your heart just has a hard day.  There is no particular reason why, it just is.  Although, not spending enough time with God is usually the root of the problem. 

Today was that kind of day.  I don't know why, but something was just not right most of the day.  Actually, I do know.  The beginning of my problem was that my prayer was not focused this morning.  My Bible study was not a desire to be in the scriptures.  It was more of a "okidoki. check that one off the long to-do list I have today. Next?"

I was attempting to spend time with God.  I prayed as I drove to class.  I sang worship along with the radio, and I was trying to be sincere.  But, my actions were not stemmed from a desperate desire to be with him.  My heart was crying out, but with no direction or focus. It did not know what to cry out, or what it needed.

I was too focused on me, and not on him.

God really is too marvelous for words, to faithful to be fathomed.  Finally, tonight, feeling defeated and overwhelmed, the focus was taken off of me.  My strength was not enough.  My time was not enough. My words were not enough.  The Holy Spirit took hold and humbled my heart. 

After prayer, after my focus was straightened out, the Lord refilled and reminded me of his love for me.  My daddy passed me two items of mail. The first was a check with donation money for a mission trip God has called me on this summer.  A sweet thank you postcard was the second. 

Sometimes, it's just in the little things that God reminds you that he's still there and he cares. But if he is not our focus, how will we see him in those little things?  I wonder how many precious moments of his presence I miss because my focus is on something else...

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
Colossians 3:1-2