Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death. – Isaiah 57:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 31, 2017): Isaiah 57

I remember some strange things. I remember my fourth birthday party. I received my first two wheel bike at my fourth birthday. It should have been a great day, but it really wasn’t. It was at my fourth birthday party that I realized how fast I was growing up. I only had one more year before I would have to give up my freedom and go to school – and as weird as it sounds now, that was a debilitating moment in my life. (The fear would repeat itself the summer between grade six and seven – I wasn’t sure that I was willing to give up recess and move on to Junior High School.) And now as I look back I remember my first two wheeled bike and the joy of that bike – and I remember the fear of growing up – all combined into my fourth birthday party.

I also remember the day I was walking through my house, before the fear set in on my fourth birthday, that I discovered this new thing called ‘peripheral’ vision. I remember the moment (probably at about the age of three) that I was standing in the living room of my house looking at the armchair, and I realized that I could see more than just the chair. It was a surprise to my three-year-old mind – I could see the chair, but I could also see the couch and the TV (that played my superhero cartoons that I loved to emulate). I could see the wall and that corner of the room without ever taking my eyes off of the chair. That was incredible.

I have used that peripheral vision a lot during my life. And I have to admit that at times it has been great, but often it has been more of a curse. Sometimes it is hard to focus when your peripheral vision is showing you so much other stuff on which you would really like to focus.

Focus is such a major part of life. What we are focusing on will often define the trajectory that our life takes. If we want to be poor and broke – then we will need to concentrate on spending everything that we get instead of saving for the future. But if we want something else, if we want to build a secure financial house, then we need to focus on something different – on ways to invest and save and build wealth. But the results we receive in life are often decided by what it is that steals away our focusing.

Isaiah looks at his people and encourages them not to let peripheral vision pull their focus off of God. For us, it would be ‘don’t lose sight of Jesus,’ because there is a peace available to us when we are willing to allow our focus to rest on God that isn’t available at any other time. Only God holds the answer for some of the tougher issues of life and death. And only a focus on God can take you down a path that will bring you toward that kind of mystical peace.

So don’t let your peripheral vision pull your focus away from God because you deserve the peace that he can bring to your life.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Isaiah 58