When we were kids, we loved to play a game (seems stupid today) that involved staring at each other, seeing who would blink first. It started off as a non-contact game, but quickly evolved into a full-contact sport in my neighborhood. We did everything we could to get the other person to blink. We talked, we hit, we pushed, we made jokes, we would do all kinds of things in order to get the focus of our opponent off the game, and onto something else.
I think our enemy likes to use the same tactics to try to get us to divert our attention from the things God wants us to do today. He offers may other options. Most of them could be considered “good things.” I have found these “good” options to be far more appealing than the ones I know are wrong. Today I was reading Psalm 57 and read, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise” (Psalm 57:7). I want this to be my battle-cry today! I want to keep my focus on God all throughout this day.
I realize that just like my friends would do all they could to get me to blink, the enemy of my soul will do all he can to draw me away from having my heart fixed on God. There is one major difference between the game my friends and I played, and what this verse is talking about. We were majoring on where our eyes were focused. God is interested in where our heart is focused. In the Bible, the word, “heart” refers to the center of our lives. I want the center of my soul to be fixed on God today. I want to fight hard to maintain that focus today.
The success I felt when I won the “blinking game” pales in comparison to the joy we will experience when we fix our eyes on our God and follow His desire for our life. I want to keep my gaze fixed solidly on my Heavenly Father and be extremely sensitive to His leadership. There will be many things that will fight for my attention today. I want to be sure that the distractions that will come today will not draw my heart away from what God wants me to do.
This is a battle that I face every day of my life. I am sure that you can relate to me. Let’s keep God’s Word and its truths in the forefront of our minds and hearts today. If we will keep the Word of God in focus today, it will greatly enhance the opportunity to keep our gaze fixed on what God wants today. The result of keeping the focus where it needs to be will be that we will sing and give praise to God today!