Proverbs 4:25 Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.
Many events concerning what is recorded in history are being rewritten as new documents are found, or some of the old chronicles are being properly interpreted. The argument about whether in 1519, Hernán Cortés burned the ships or scuttled them does not take away from the fact that after arriving in the New World with six hundred men, he made it clear to his crew – there would be no turning back from the mission they were to accomplish. Therefore by destroying the ships, Cortés was saying, “We are going to do this or die trying!”
Jesus expressed something similar when He said that we should keep our eye on the prize,- God’s kingdom. Luke 9:62 And Jesus said to him, “No one having laid the hand upon the plow, and looking on the things behind, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Jesus had the determination of purpose and had burned His ship so to speak when He headed to Jerusalem to fulfill the finished work of the cross, where He would bear the sins of mankind. Luke 9:51 As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. The Lord did not look back but kept His eyes on the eternal plan our Heavenly Father had prepared for whosoever would accept God’s gift of forgiveness.
In this oversensitive society, where picking up an offence is becoming the norm, we will need to rise above this commonplace attitude and become determined to possess stronger willpower and a forthright resolve of character while walking in faith. The drastic changes that need to happen within the Christian consciousness will need to correspond with an equally drastic resolution within our hearts to make the changes that will help us become valiant members of God’s kingdom. We will have to burn the ships that carry the strife in our lives because if we don’t, we will end up sailing through life with corrupted cargo that will weaken our lives, our thinking, and our willpower toward living within and expanding the kingdom of our God.
This may sound odd to some, but in this world of distractions, and the constant seeking of entertainment, being able to focus is a superpower. Remaining attentive to what the Lord has sown in our hearts will take God’s grace as well as our willpower to keep our eyes on Christ and walk His straight path of righteousness. Prov. 4:25 Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. We need to scuttle, get rid of, and break away from the temptations that call us back to the attractions of sin. In effect, we will have to burn those old ships that once carried us toward Godlessness.
We are bombarded on every side to surrender our full attention and focus on anything but God. If the enemy of our soul can keep us dimwitted and coasting in mediocrity, then Satan has maneuvered us to the place where we will eventually start to deceive ourselves by not doing what the word of God says to do. We will end up giving lip service to Christian clichés rather than stepping forward by faith to accomplish what God’s word says to do. James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. As my wife often says, “Christianity is not for wimps, it takes courage and willpower to do what God asks.”
Some might have thought that Hernán Cortés was a bit over the top and leaned to extremes. I think he understood the nature of man, which in general states, “If times get hard, a man looks to retreat and will surrender to his weaker tendencies.” We are no different. Courage in the middle of a battle is a choice. Cortés made the options limited to the circumstances. Maybe we need to take a lesson from his handbook and limit ourselves to doing what God is asking of us rather than giving the devil a say in what we do. We need to burn the ships Satan offers us. We are fortunate to have the Holy Spirit helping us make forthright choices. He is our helper and we need to accept His divine help so that we may walk in the fulness of Christ’s righteous resurrection power. With Christ, we can succeed. Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Amen!
We all have to keep removing ourselves from the distractions that take us away from God. Blessings
Good word – This is not our home!
Pretty article;)
Thank you Norm. This is the third time I’ve heard a similar message. The Holy Spirit is saying this loud and clear. At Biblestudy last evening a friend said, God, had told her to stop looking back, this is not our home and to not expect to be comfortable here. We’re passing through.
Bless you.
Amen. Love this, Norm. Reminds me very much of my situation. Removing myself from that mess of worldy distractions, and laser focusing on my goals has made all the difference. Thank you :)
– JJ