Stay Focused

The holiday is over. My husband and sons have gone back to work and school. It was on Monday morning, I had woken up early with the readiness to start work on my tasks too. But as I laid on my bed pondering on all the things I desire and need to accomplish over the next couple of months, I felt overwhelmed at the magnitude of work that needs to be done.

When I was working on the timeline for the publication of my book with my publisher, I thought six months would give me more than enough to complete the work. Upon reviewing the work at the beginning of the year I was shocked to note how much work is still required to complete the work. With less than 2 months left to go, I am feeling an intense pressure and quite uncertain of how I am going to accomplish this task on top of the other goals I had set for the first quarter of 2014. My brain cells were working overtime that morning trying to figure out how these set goals will be accomplished.

I knew with all certainty in my heart that it is the will of God for this task—the completion of the book, to be done in a timely fashion. The clarion call has been so loud over the last four months that I cannot make any more excuses for a further delay in the completing this assignment without disobeying God. But it just seemed so hard to stay focused on the task and meet the writing goal set for each day. There were so many important things also competing for my attention and a few distractions as well if I want to be sincere to myself.

For my devotion a short-while later, I decided to use the 31 Devotions For Writers compiled by Susette Williams, which I bought recently. The Bible verse for meditation literally jumped out of the page at me:

“For I am the Lord your God Who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Fear not, I will help you.” - (Is 41: 13).

I was elated. My spirit was lifted high up. God upholds my right hand and He is saying to me, telling me not to be afraid, He will help me. He is assuring me that I don’t need to try and figure it out all by myself how all these goals will be accomplished. He is with me to help me. I meditated on the verse and read it in as many Bible translations as available to me until it sank deep into my spirit.

The writer of this devotion, Rachel Hauck, continued to encourage me that God is with me, with her inspiring words and her testimony of how God came through for her when she felt it was just too hard to put one extra ounce of effort into her writing and she felt so alone.

She wrote, “Writing is hard. Get over the idea or notion it’s fun, easy-breeze and a snap. Align your thoughts and actions with the reality that it takes hard work and perspiration to produce well-written article, poem, song or book. But also align your heart with the truth that God is with you. He will help you.” This has application for everything we desire, dream and envision of accomplishing in life. It will take some perspiration. It will require us to align ourselves with this truth.

My responsibility is to align myself with the truth of God’s word concerning the task He has assigned to me and stay focused on the goal, the work at hand. Yes, He will help me. He will hold me up and retain me with His victorious right hand of righteousness and justice.

Stay focused on the goal and task that God has assigned to you. He will not leave you alone or abandon you in it. Refuse to agree with the negative suggestions and thoughts telling you that it is too hard or it is impossible for you to do it. Truly, it will be impossible to accomplish your task in your strength without the help of God and His sustaining grace.

He has promised to make us fit for whatever purpose He called us to, just as He made Jacob, considered a worm, a weak thing, to become like a new, sharp threshing instrument.

Don’t let the magnitude of what needs to be done dismay you. Don’t let the magnitude of your expectations and desires terrify you and make you despair to the point that it looms before you like an insurmountable mountain. God is able to provide supernaturally all we need to accomplish the task set before us. He opened rivers on bare heights and fountains in the midst of the valley to provide water for His thirsty people. He made the wilderness a pool of water and dry land to become spring (Is 41:18). He is still the same God today, Who is promising to sustain, uphold and help you. We are assured that we will have constant supply from where we least expect.

You just stay focused on the task at hand. Take a step, a concrete and definite step each day, no matter how small you may consider it to be. And you will be amazed what God can do with your limited resources and determined effort. It is humanly impossible for cedars, firs or myrtles to grow in the desert, they need well watered and fertile land to grow. God’s provision and intervention will cause us to see and have provision in unusual places. God is able to render us fruitful by causing His grace to abound to us and by helping us at our time of need. We and all those who behold the outcome will give glory to God and rejoice in Him.

What a great assurance it gives to know that God will bless us with the grace to relentlessly keep at pushing ahead and not give up, give in or stay down.

http://holleygerth.com/free-words/

There is no technology yet invented that can translate dreams and visions into reality except you take deliberate and concrete actions to work it out. It requires hard work, discipline and determination to do so. Though not easy, it is the only way to living your dreams and seeing your vision become a reality.

A vision has to be accompanied by an action to become a reality.

Am I where I want to be yet? No. But am I making progress? Definitely yes. 300 words one day, 1200 on another, every single word is making a difference and taking me towards the goal. Concerning the other projects I have on hand, I know God Who is helping me with the writing is also ever present to help me with the rest of the tasks on my hand.

The words of the song, Push Back The Dark by Josh Wilson, inspired me to keep at it and to stay focused.

“Whatever you do, just don’t look back

Oh somebody needs the light you have

Whatever you do, just don’t lose heart.

Oh, oh, don’t underestimate the God you follow

He is the light that burns inside your soul

So keep on shining ‘til the whole world knows.”

Someone needs what God has committed into my hands to do. I afford to give in to the fear how big it is and how much work it requires to get it done. I prayed and asked God for the compelling motivation and the zeal to stay focused and keep at it until it is done.

What about you, friend? What task do you have at hand that seems almost impossible to accomplish? What is that dream or vision on your heart that makes you wonder, how can this be? I encourage you today, to stay focused and trust in the truth of God’s word. He will surely help you.

Sharing with you a complimentary blog post: Make The Next Move Forward