7 Ways to Focus on God and Let Him Make All Things New in You

Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com

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 Way in the Wilderness and Streams in the Desert

View of the Canyon of Ein Avdat National Park, the Negev Desert, Southern Israel

“Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19).

Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the Wilderness of Zin. This is where Miriam died and was buried. There was no water in this place and the people grumbled. They said to Moses and Aaron, “Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into the wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place?” (Numbers 20:4-5).

Moses and Aaron fell prostrate at the entrance to the tent of meeting. The glory of the Lord appeared to them and said, “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water” (Numbers 20:6-8). Water gushed from the rock, enough for the people and the livestock. The rock formation you see in the picture is where Moses struck the rock, and water still springs from there today. Please take time to view the short video to see the blossoms in the desert from water that still flows today from the rock, Ein Avdat.

What do You do in Despair?

What do you do when you get to the end of you; when anxiety, sorrow, suffering, and loss overwhelm you? This is God’s opportunity. Instead of complaining and making decisions that lead to more despair, take your suffering, whatever it is, to the Lord and watch Him bring restoration. “Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! (Psalm 126:4-5).

David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973), Israel’s first president, could have been buried anywhere in Israel, but he chose this place of miracles. He kept the words of the prophets on index cards under the glass on his desk.

Prayer

Thank you, Father God, for the miracles! Thank you for your word that records stories of how you blessed your people. Help us to trust you with what concerns us today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.