In a world of chaos and corruption, we can change our focus to God. He promised that whatever we go through, He is with us. He will never leave us or forsake us. He is always available and ready to hear our cries for help and our praises when He leads us through dark valleys. Here are seven ways to focus on God and not our trouble:
- Be grateful in every situation because it keeps hope alive.
- Do not be anxious. Rejoice in the Lord in every situation. Pray with thanksgiving and give your requests to God. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
- Preach the gospel to yourself. What have you learned about God lately? What promise has He fulfilled in your life? What Bible story speaks to your heart in times of trouble? Remember and remind yourself of the truth you have received. It is the anchor for your soul.
- Remember the hope you have in the power of the Resurrection. It is the same power alive in your life through the Holy Spirit.
- Forget the trouble of the past. Do not dwell on it. God says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19).
- Let the newness fall into your heart. When Ezekiel prophesied against the enemy nations of Israel, He said of His people, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 11:19).
- God can raise the dead things in you to new life. He asked Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And Ezekiel said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” The Lord commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life” (Ezekiel 37:3-5). What is it in you that is dead and needs new life? A cold heart? A relationship? A dead-end job? Let God recreate Himself in you. He wants to give you a new heart and a new relationship – with Him. He wants you to have an abundant life with a plan, a purpose and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Prayer
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for hope and blessing that comes from you. Thank you for the newness of life, that we don’t have to hang on to hurt or trouble. Help us to surrender what is dead in us so you can make all things new. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Closer Walk with God 