Staying Focused on God

By -

Staying Focused on God

Emily Peedin

Bible Readings: Philippians 4:6, 1 Peter 5:6-7, Matthew 6:34, and Matthew 11:28

If there is one thing I can distinctly remember from my four years in undergrad, it is just how fast the fall semester seemed to fly by after midterms. Within the blink of an eye, we had Halloween, Fall Break, Thanksgiving, finals, and Christmas before I could even register what was going on. It truly felt like, no matter how hard I wanted things to slow down a bit, someone else’s foot was on the gas, and I could seemingly never catch up.

That being said, I did cherish my fall semesters in undergrad– arguably so much more so than my spring semesters. Something about the weather cooling down, sports seasons heating up, and my favorite holidays approaching made the semester feel a lot faster and more bearable to get through. That certainly wasn’t the case for everyone else I knew, though. As wonderful as the fall and winter seasons were to me, I would be remiss if I did not think also of the stress and hardships these times brought some of my close friends and sisters– something that certainly did not help us focus on God in a time that we really have ought to.

Looking over these verses from Philippians, 1 Peter, and Matthew, we can be easily reminded that God is here to help us– to listen to our worries and guide us through tough times, if only we make sure to go to Him. My hope for you all during the end of this semester and into the holiday season is that you are able to de-stress a little bit, making sure to turn back to the Lord whenever you hit a bump in the road. :)

A Brief Prayer for Staying Focused:

Heavenly Father,

As I go about the end of this season and the start of a new one, I pray that you keep close to me always– assisting me, guiding me, and leading me down the paths you want me to go on. You know everything that is in store for me and exactly what I need, Lord, if I only take the time to connect with you. Thank you for your unending love and bountiful blessings,

Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“Perhaps this is the moment for which you have been created.” - Esther 4:14

By -
The story of Esther is a famous one that has been recounted everywhere from Sunday school classes to the Hollywood big screen over and over again.  The sort-of Reader’s Digest version is that an orphan girl from no means finds favor with the King and ultimately saves her people from mass genocide.  But there is more to Esther’s than just that, right?  I mean there are only two books of the bible that are named after women:  Ruth and Esther.  So we have to ask ourselves what it must be that makes these women so worthy.   Ruth’s story can be summed up in a sentence  as well:  A woman’s husband dies, she follows her elderly mother in law to a foreign land where she finds favor with a wealthy land owner and ultimately becomes something like the 28-times great grandmother of Jesus.  The obvious commonalities in these two women’s stories are that they are both displaced from their homes, they both find favor with wealthy, powerful men- but risk ...
Read more

Oh the Places You'll Go!

By -
Image
Have you ever read the book “Oh the Places You’ll Go” by the incredible Dr. Seuss? If not, stop reading this and go get a copy of this amazing piece of literature. If you have, then I’m sure you remember the great encouragement given throughout. For example... “Today is your day! You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!” “Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.” “And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)” “Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way.” But, the real life advice comes in the pages between the above quotes, where we are reminded that sometimes we “won’t”... (see what I did there?!? Yes, I love me so Suess talk… anyway…) In John 16:33, Jesus tells us “In this world you will have trouble.” Not that we might or its possible, but that we will. Dr. Seuss refers to these troubles as silly rhymes, but the truth of life is still there. “I’m sorry ...
Read more

New Beginnings Make New Endings

By -
Image
I recently saw this quote, "No one can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending" (Unknown). I really began to think about that statement. The conclusion was that we don't start over; but we begin again right where we are, making things better in our lives. As a believer in Christ, it is not about saying I will do this and I won't do that and then dropping the idea or falling short. It is more about asking the Lord to help us each day, to fall deeper and deeper in love with Him. This way our focus will be set on the things of heaven and not on all this earthly stuff. If I were to make a New Year resolution, it would be to have a deeper commitment, a deeper love, and a deeper worship for the Lord. In the beginning of this past year, He spoke to me in that still small voice in prayer and said, "I am more than enough. I am more than enough in every area of your life." He also said to tell others the same thing. ...
Read more