Focus and Faith

Focus and Faith I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm 16 v 8 Every verse in scripture contains the nucleus of a principle that governs our physical, moral and spiritual universe. If we look closely at the above uni-verse, there is a cause and effect sequence in the verse: if we do this-setting the Lord always before, the effect(s) will follow- “He is always at…” and “ I shall not be moved.” This uni-verse talks about the need for an obsession with God. This is the grandest, greatest and most rewarding obsession of any man or woman or child. The Lord is not to be an afterthought, a weekend pastime. He is not a philosophy, an ideology, a chimera but a Person who is deeply involved in the details and challenges of our lives. He is the cause of our passion, the locus of our attention. When we set our focus always on the Lord for our sustenance, growth and for our joy, He guides us, leads us and defends us. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Our faith in the Almighty God has commenced on account of our hearing and believing the gospel. He is also the finisher in the sense, He is the One who completes our faith. Our faith in the beginning might be small and weak as a tiny flame that burns in us. But Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to fan our faith into full flame. Our part lies in fixing our focus on Him always and in all our ways. One of the signs that we have always set the Lord before us He is always at our right hand. It implies that the Lord God is always at arm’s length away from us. He is so intimate and accessible. The expression “ right hand” implies the mighty power of El Shaddai. When we raise our right hand in prayer, praise and worship, we are able to touch the very heart of God. He trains our fingers to battle. He gives us the power to work miracles in His name, to speak healing into people’s lives and bodies, to exercise authority in the spirit realm over every power of darkness. It is with our right hand that we grip the Word of God and claim His promises. It is with our right hand that we execute His commands and carry out His will in our lives. On account of our focus and our faith, we will not be moved. We will not be put to shame in any matter before us. We will not be unstable like flotsam on the river of life. We will be built on rock. We will build on rock. He will honour us and deliver us. He will establish us and lift us up. The Lord once affirmed me saying, “ I am pleased with your faith and your focus.” “Setting the Lord always before me” does not mean that we sit in a meditative pose all day or night but regardless of whatever we are doing day or night, we are always aware of the comforting and encouraging presence of the Lord with us. Under our breath, we are always praying. We are always expressing our faith in the Lord and our willingness to do His will. When things go wrong or awry, we know that He can turn it round for us. We never give up hope and sustain ourselves with the joy of the Lord by delighting in reading and remembering His Word. Prateep V Philip