We have all seen people walk into things, or other people, or fall on the stairs because they failed to look where they were going. Perhaps you have noticed that you tend to go where you are looking? If I am driving and looking at the animals or scenery out the side window, it is not long before the vehicle begins to drift in the direction I am looking. Making straight lines or keeping a car on the road while driving must be a purposeful act. Many years ago, I received advice on how to make straight lines when mowing or plowing. It required that I pick an object at the opposite end of the field or yard and keep my eyes locked on it until I had completed the line. I have tested this advice and found it to be correct. If I look to the right or the left in the middle of the line, I will create a wiggly line instead of a straight one.
Living in God’s shadow requires the same type of focus. We see an example of this in apostle Peter when he asked Jesus to let him approach Jesus by walking on water. He did just fine as long as he kept his focus on Jesus. When Peter began to look at the waves that surrounded him, he began to sink. (Matthew 14:25-33)
Where we fasten our gaze, shows what we consider to be the priority at that instant. When Peter looked at the waves, he suddenly considered them a greater danger than the power of Jesus, which was allowing him to walk on top of the water. When he started to sink, he rearranged his priorities and put faith in Jesus back at the top of the list.
Even when we are focused and trying to make straight lines, there will be things that try to distract us. When I am mowing a straight line, I may hit a rock hidden in the grass, or drive into a gopher hole. Life happens even when we are trying to do things correctly. The kids get sick, the car tire goes flat, and your computer dies all in one day. These kinds of distractions make it hard to keep focused. They are the waves that we face day-to-day.
2 Chronicles 20 has an exciting story about a king of Judah named Jehoshaphat. During his reign, he discovered a plan developed by several neighboring countries to attack his kingdom. His response to this news was to focus on God and pray. (You can read his prayer in 2 Chronicles 20:6-12) He ends his prayer with these words, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12 (NIV)
Specific times in my life come to mind when I have prayed words similar to those closing words. The time when my daughter was born with a heart problem, or when my wife received a cancer diagnosis, and when goals I worked toward were snatched away, are all past examples. I am learning that life must be lived with my eyes always on Jesus. The tendency is to begin to rely on my strength, which takes my eyes off of Christ. Losing sight of Jesus causes me to flounder for lack of direction. Placing my eyes back on Jesus corrects my course and leads me in paths I would not have thought to travel.
Uncomfortable situations often cause us to grasp at anything that looks like it could have the slightest possibility of helping. We allow our focus to move to the shiny things around us. What we should do is follow Jehoshaphat’s example. Focus on God and move toward Him. If we read the remainder of the chapter, we find that God provided miraculous deliverance because of Jehoshaphat’s choice.
I have read Hebrews 11 and marveled at the accounts of all the people who have exhibited great faith. The lives of each person mentioned in that chapter clearly show an overwhelming desire to live in God’s shadow. The question is, ” How do I live a life that displays my pursuit of God the way these examples did?” The first three verses of chapter 12 reveal the method. We must reset our priorities so that pursuing God and living in His shadow is the first on the list. Hebrews 12:2 gives us the way we can reset our priorities and effectively seek God, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” ( Hebrews 12:2 NIV) It keeps our eyes on Jesus Christ that enables us to travel a direct route into God’s shadow.
Life experience has shown me that if I continually look at the wrong thing, I will end up in the wrong place. If I focus on the incorrect landmark when I am hiking, I will go off course. When we have focus, we move with purpose. No one accidentally ends up arriving exactly where he or she intended. If you arrive at your intended destination, you purposely moved toward that goal and focused on achieving it. Our pursuit of God works the same way. When we look to Him, we move toward Him. The reverse is also true. It is impossible to focus on living a life displeasing to God and still live in His shadow.
Living a life in the shadow of the almighty God requires that we keep our eyes fixed on Him. Our relationship with Him grows as we move toward Him. The people around us will recognize our focus and faith. Our lives will become a constant invitation to others to also look to Jesus and move into the security of God’s shadow.