More often than not, it becomes difficult to remain focused; to remember what our mind has chosen to pay attention to. Life is so filled with events, situations, people & circumstances that matter so much to us. And because they matter to us, it becomes almost second nature to forget what is RIGHT for us.

  The difficult task here is narrowing down what actually matters.

   There are so many people that want our attention, our presence & our support. Events want our attendance, and our weeks want to remain busy. Every day we must decide what to do with our day, and what to choose to give our attention to. This becomes especially draining when we begin to realize that the root of our decisions turn into satisfying the reactions of others, or their concept of us. I think that sometimes we forget whose in control. We forget that we can decide what to give our attention to and when. We have the ability to decide what events we say yes or no to. What conversations to listen to/engage in. What people we choose to be influenced by or be an influence on. We choose in which direction our sight is on, and I really believe it is now time to stop looking to the left or to the right; To stop thinking of what others think of us; To stop looking at places or people for answers on what our next step should be or how our next steps should look like. I was thinking to myself the other day: If I can just focus on Him, keep my eyes on what is before me, and just incline my ear more into what God wants for/from me, I can be free; Free from the voices of others & from the pressure that the world holds over us. But of course it's always easier said than done.

The idea of “keeping” in this scripture contains such a depth to it. “To keep” is - to have possession over; to hold; to have. Although we have the power to keep something that is ours, we don’t always use that power for our own good. Our sight and vision are constantly drifting from one thing to another, being manipulated by our train of thought. From moment to moment our mind is cluttered with thoughts and things that take our time:

• Things we “need” to do 

• Fears we have

• Doubts we battle with

• Needs that seem to be unfulfilled

• Desires that have yet to be satisfied. 

At times it seems impossible to just fixate our gaze on just one thing. So why is it that God has such a demand on us to be attentive to His words and to keep our gaze on what is ahead?

He Knows It’s Difficult.

He understands that we live in a world where we are being pulled in every direction. He demands we keep our sight on what's ahead, and that we ponder; to actually think about the path of our feet. We must think about where we are going; to focus on what He has to say, and to be attentive to His words because His words are life, and His ways are higher.

Our train of thought is deceptive. We are constantly either thinking of a worst-case scenario, or giving into the concept of what others may or may not think about us. This is faulty since humans are constantly winging it & figuring out this “life thing” together. But God already has everything figured out, so keeping our sight on Him alone will lead us to the best state of mind & to the best life one could imagine having.

I'm referencing all of this to describe the authority one holds when they are in possession of something that is theirs. We have the authority to look ahead and to feed ourselves the things that edify our hearts & minds so that it is kept well. Look ahead & keep your sight on what is steady and steadfast; on what is always good, so that your feet do not stumble.

We all have a sense of where we want to be or where we want to go - a vision; a focus; a version of ourselves we hope to evolve into, and it is up to us to choose where to keep our gaze, to protect it with all vigilance. Do we cherish our sight, our heart, & our thoughts enough to be careful on where we set it on? Protect yourself this year, protect your heart always, “for from it flows the springs of life.” 

I want to be the person that overflows with joy and peace. 

I want my soul to be well

I want to feed myself with words that help me grow

I want my feet to step in places that they were meant to step into

I want my feet to lead me to the way everlasting

I want my thoughts to be good thoughts

I want to keep my heart with vigilance & carefulness because I know it is the root of my thoughts, and the root of my decisions.

I know I can only do this if I keep my eyes on Him. If I lean in closer to what he has to say on all areas of my life.

Stay Well

Stay Nourished.

OTL