The Christian's Key To Success - Keeping Your Focus On Jesus

My Utmost For His Highest

When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment…and plunged into the sea. —John 21:7

{CHAMBERS} “Have you ever had a crisis in your life in which you deliberately, earnestly, and recklessly abandoned everything? It is a crisis of the will. You may come to that point many times externally, but it will amount to nothing. The true deep crisis of abandonment, or total surrender, is reached internally, not externally. The giving up of only external things may actually be an indication of your being in total bondage.  Have you deliberately committed your will to Jesus Christ? It is a transaction of the will, not of emotion; any positive emotion that results is simply a superficial blessing arising out of the transaction. If you focus your attention on the emotion, you will never make the transaction.”

{ELGIN} In the study, Experiencing God, Dr. Blackaby calls what Oswald Chambers is describing as a “crisis of belief”.  You “hear” God’s voice and you are faced with a decision of the will.  Obey or not obey.  As Dr. Blackaby said, it is not a question of knowing what God has said, it is a question of exercising your will to obey.  The key is your focus.  If you focus on Him and not the waves, like Peter failed to do, no matter what is going on around you, or even to you, you will have confidence and peace.  “It’s not by power nor by might but by My Spirit says the Lord God of Hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6)  But .. that power will only be realized in the midst of your acting by faith.  Notice that Peter began to sink in the presence of the Lord. (Matthew 14:22-33)  The reason .. Peter had lost his focus and his faith failed … he started trusting in himself and there was no way he could do what he was doing … walking on water … And so it is for us. 

God calls us to do what is not humanly possible …. Obeying the Word of God is not humanly possible .. and so God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus … Once saved man needed the ability to relate spiritually to God .. not humanly possible so God sent His Spirit to dwell in each Believer … and what is our part?  Trust and obedience … walking by faith … submitted to the Spirit of God’s leading.  Keeping our eyes on and faith in Jesus. That is the beginning and the ending of our new lives of faith. It’s just that simple … but so easy to look elsewhere … just ask Peter.