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How to Stay Focused
on God and Not the Obstacles of Life
.
When we perceive threat to our well-being or an
obstacle standing between us and our goals, we often fear that the overall plan
for our lives is in serious jeopardy. In those times we need to remember the
promises of God. Never allow shortsighted vision — especially one focused on
obstacles — to block the far-reaching plan of the Lord.
Charles Stanley
“If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into
that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do
not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land,
because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us.
Do not be afraid of them.” -
Numbers 14:8–9
When we perceive threat to our well-being
or an obstacle standing between us and our goals, we often fear that the
overall plan for our lives is in serious jeopardy.
In those times we need to remember the
promises of God.
When the Israelite spies set out on a
reconnaissance mission to assess the land of Canaan, they had no idea what they
would encounter.
It was a great honor to be chosen by Moses
for such an assignment, and Moses selected the top leader from each of the
twelve tribes for the job.
Who had ever heard of a grape cluster so
huge that it had to be carried on a pole lifted by two men? (Numbers 13:23)
Who could possibly be prepared for
Canaanite warriors so massive they dwarfed the best of Israel’s army? (Numbers 13:33)
It is no wonder these spies felt a whirling
mix of emotions as they headed back to their commander-in-chief to give a full
report.
You can imagine the scene.
The spies confirmed that the Promised Land
was indeed everything God said it was — but they focused on what they saw as
the obstacles to their taking the land, namely the giants who lived there.
They gave an accurate report, but they
failed to give the whole story. Only Joshua and Caleb spoke the truth.
These two faithful
men recounted what they had seen and then reiterated, in their own words, the
promises of God that had brought them to this point: “If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land
flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against
the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will
devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid
of them” (Numbers
14:8–9).
obstacles standing in the way (Numbers 14:30; 26:64–65; 32:11–12).
The blessings God has in store for you are
just as rich!
Never allow shortsighted vision — especially one focused on obstacles — to block the far-reaching plan of the Lord.
Article from The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NIV Edition.
During his many years of ministry, Dr. Charles Stanley has faithfully highlighted the 30 Life Principles that have guided him and helped him to grow in his knowledge, service, and love of God. This study Bible features thousands of verse notes and study features to help you explore each of these principles in depth and learn how to make them a part of your everyday life. Learn More
A
Balanced Approach
Some
Bible translations focus on the way Scripture was written—the form,
grammar, even the word order of the original. The difficulty is that no two
languages follow the same set of rules. That’s why translating Scripture is
more than a matter of replacing Greek or Hebrew words with English equivalents.
Other
Bible translations focus on the meaning of Scripture, helping you
grasp the message of the Bible in your own words. The challenge with this approach
is that if you stray too far from the form of the text, you might miss some of
the subtle nuances—literary devices, wordplays, etc.—found in the original.
Even
the best literal translation can’t follow the original form all the time. And
even the best meaning-based translation can’t capture every detail of meaning
found in the original.
In
1978, the NIV pioneered a different approach: balancing transparency to the
original with clarity of meaning. Our view is that if the first people to
receive the Bible could understand God’s Word the way it was written, you
should be able to as well.
https://www.thenivbible.com/blog/how-to-stay-focused-on-god-and-not-obstacles-of-life/
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