"Out of Focus"

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

I woke up this morning with this chorus repeating over and over in my thoughts- "Savior, worthy of honor and glory, worthy of all our praise, You overcameJesus, awesome in power forever, awesome and great is Your name, You overcame." The words of this song were taken directly from the scriptures, therefore, they are truth. Jesus has overcome. He is awesome in power- He is the Omnipotent One. He is no "wimpy" little "Casper milk toast" God. He is not a "ninety-eight pound weakling". He is not limited in power- with Him nothing is impossible. May I remind you this morning that He is the Creator of the Universe. He is the Ruler of all creation. He is so powerful that He did not even have to take something in hand to create all that is, all He had to do was speak and it came into existence. His throne is eternal- He will always be though everything else may pass away. He always has been- when nothing else was.

I think that sometimes we need to readjust our focus- and thinking. Have you ever starred at something for so long that once you got your eyes off of it, everything else seemed blurry? When we look at our problems for too long without taking our eyes off of them, the same thing happens. Once we finally look somewhere else, everything else is out of focus-- including our view of God. We don't see Him as He really is- but as a distorted figure who is weak, not in control, unable to meet the need, unfaithful, etc.

Today turn your eyes for a moment from your problem, and start "starring" at Jesus. Get refocused on Him. If you "stare" at Him long enough, once you look back at your problem, it will be a blur- it will now look distorted and unclear. It won't look as intimidating, as big, as hopeless and as impossible, because it will be a true image of the problem compared to God.

Have great day. Readjust your focus and place it on the One who is awesome in power and overcame.

For further reading:
Philippians 2:10
Revelation 5:12
2 Samuel 7:22
Psalm 86:10; 121:1
Jeremiah 10:6

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
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"Got It And Missed It"

"And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Matthew 16:16

Jesus asked His disciples to tell Him what people were saying about Him- who did they say He was? Then He asked His disciples the same question- who do you say that I am? Peter's answer is above- "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus praised Peter for his answer, told him how blessed he was, told him the Spirit had revealed it to him and at that point called his name Peter. What a revelation Peter had and what recognition Jesus gave him.

Yet only six verses later we see just the opposite. Jesus began telling the disciples of His upcoming death and Peter rebuked Him. Jesus at that point, called him a "devil"- "Get thee behind me satan." How amazing to have a great spiritual revelation at one moment and totally not recognize another great revelation the next.

Have you ever had the Lord show you something one minute, then miss what He's saying the next? Have you been on the mountain one moment but in the valley the next? Have you had a glorious encounter with the Lord then a few minutes later wonder if He is even there? It happens to all of us from time to time. Look at the characters in the Bible. Elijah had a glorious/miraculous victory at Mt. Carmel, then the next picture is one of him hiding in a cave.

Don't let your "down" moments dictate your life- your spirituality, your relationship with the Lord, fulfilling your purpose. Don't let them cause you to give up in frustration- thinking that you can't ever get it "right". Don't let the "flesh" times keep you out of the "spirit" times. Don't let one moment of "defeat" keep you from the next moment of "victory". If you'll read on in Matthew just six days later Peter was on the Mount of Transfiguration seeing the glory of God. He went from receiving one revelation- to missing another revelation- to seeing and experiencing the glory of the Lord.

Have a great day. Don't let the "down" times affect the "up" times; the "flesh" times affect the "spirit" times; the "defeat" times affect the "victory" times; the "missed it" times affect the "got it" times.

"Yesterday And Today"

"They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:23

I'll be the first to admit that sometimes I miss it. There are days that I don't always do what I should, but I am thankful that even if I missed it yesterday, I don't have to stay there. Today is a new day- a new day that has band new mercies available to me. Yesterday I might have been a failure, but today I can be a winner. Yesterday I might have suffered defeat, but today I can be victorious.

Look at Peter. There was a "yesterday" and a "today" for him. Yesterday, he denied Christ, but then we see him a few days later and Jesus is commissioning him to feed His sheep. Mary Magdalene had a "yesterday". Yesterday she was full of demons and the Lord cast them out. The next day-her "today"- she is a follower of His- staying by His side even until He drew His last breath on the cross.

There is a "yesterday" and a "today" (so to speak) in all of our lives. Yesterday we may have been in one place, state or condition, but today because of the goodness, mercy and grace of the Lord we can be somewhere completely different. You might have missed it yesterday, but today you can get back on track. Yesterday you might have blown it, but today you can get back up. Yesterday you might have been disobedient, but today you can repent and fulfill His will. Yesterday you might have walked in the flesh, but today you can walk in the spirit. Yesterday you might have been a failure, but today you can be more than a conqueror. Don't let your mistakes of yesterday hold you in bondage. Today is a new day and the Lord is standing at it's threshold waiting to make it a new "today" for you.

Have a great day. You may have blown it yesterday like Peter, but today you can hear the Lord say "Feed My sheep".