The Power of Paying Attention

Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend 

to your herds . . .                     Proverbs 27:23

One of the greatest weapons a disciple will ever employ is his attention to detail. We tend to believe that loving Jesus is the end all, but it is truly just the beginning. Nothing is more frustrating to a teacher than a student who is smart but inattentive – and we frustrate the Lord when we declare our love for Him and remain emotionally immature and undependable. There is no spiritual maturity without dragging our daily attitudes before the Lord for His painful and honest inspection, and be sure that He will inspect every millimeter of our character because He loves us.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?               Psalms 139:7

Most of us turn inward and get surly with God when He first corrects us, and that tells us we are walking in the flesh. Yet, the Lord does not relent, for He knows He will have to judge us wherever we do not humble ourselves and repent. His mercy dictates His patience and His fierce determination to present us to Himself without spot or wrinkle. Our duty is to respond immediately when we are rebuked or corrected by His Holy Spirit, and in doing so we prove we are sons and servants of the Most High God. All this demands an open heart and a steely-eyed focus on our relationship with Him and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Be sure that we will give an account for every word, every deed, and to Himself without spot or wrinkle. Our duty is to respond immediately when we are rebuked or corrected by His Holy Spirit, and in doing so we prove we are sons and servants of the Most High God. All this demands an open heart and a steely-eyed focus on our relationship with Him and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Be sure that we will give an account for every word, every deed, and every gift we receive from above. So, let the Lord find us fully engaged in dialogue with Him, abiding in Him, and attentive to Him. It is a matter of life and death!

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; ²⁴ and see if there is               any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  Psalms 139:23-24

Love and Peace beyond understanding,

Pastor Eric