Lenten Blog Series 2024: Still Focused: Week 1 by E. Philor

 Psalm 46:10: Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 

Still Focused 

Always remember your focus determines your reality- George Lucas 

The psalm was written to invite the readers to be faithful in our lives and to remind us of our commitment to a great God. When I first read the psalm, I was convinced that the text before us is set to remind us that regardless of what is happening around us that we are to be mesmerized by God’s grandeur amid our lives. But that felt limiting to me as I thought about it and decided it was better to have you join me on the adventure of finding what God wanted to tell us today about this text, especially as it related to the topic. 

I had such a challenging time with this topic because when I saw it, I wanted to put a conjunction between the words. I thought about Still but Focused or Still and Focused. I wanted to be deep and put Still, yet Focused because it sounds like it came from the KJV. The issue for me was not about being focused because that has a good connotation assigned to it. Being a Focused person means that you pay specific attention to something. You pay such close attention to something that you are not easily distracted or submerged in procrastination. It is a gift to be Focused because you are determined to get the task at hand done. To be honest, some of us are marginally focused, causing us to be focused only until a certain point or from a specific time.  

While all of this is true, my bigger issue is with the word “still.” The Dictionary.com website would define still as “not moving or making a sound;” or a “deep silence and calm." To me, I always thought of stillness in relation to fear. It is the “deer in the headlights” or being “scared stiff.” But I am in a place of renewal after the recent fast and some life shifts to learn that stillness means so much more. What if “still” meant to be persistent? What if “still” meant to continue in a thing? This would mean that the gift of this topic and this text is to argue that despite the adversity we are facing, God is calling for us to continue to be settled in and focused on the fact that He is God. So, when calamity strikes, when sickness arises, when the finances aren't adding up, when the worries keep piling on, be persistent in knowing who your God is and what your God can do.  

This was the dilemma with Peter in Matthew 14:22-33, when he started walking on water, but the wind caused him to lose his focus. The same thing happens to us, where we have the faith to begin a thing alone but lose the desire and the focus to continue when the times in life get hard. For some of us, we found it easy to participate in fasting and praying with the church in January, to serve in our ministerial capacity, to be present for worship (whether in-person or virtually) or various other church-related activities because the focus was on honoring our community, and not the anchor of knowing that He is GOD. The gift of knowing that God is still God and is still our God despite what is happening in our lives that rattle us.  

So then, what does it mean to Be Still and Know? To be persistent in our belief and anchored in the hope of our calling. It is to be sure that our anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock. It is to believe, despite our current situation, that the hymn writer was right: 

My hope is built on nothing less 

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; 

I dare not trust the sweetest frame, 

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. 

So, when life feels far from the promises that God has made, or if the conditions of our lives feel out of sorts: 

• I won’t focus on my bank account.  
• I won’t focus on my doctor’s report. 
• I won’t focus on the insurance policy. 
• I won’t focus on the words of other people. 
• I won’t focus on my job. 
• I won’t focus on my achievements. 
• I won’t focus on my resume or CV. 
• I won’t focus on my house. 
• I won’t focus on my family. 

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand: 

All other ground is sinking sand; 

All other ground is sinking sand. 

 

So, despite the moments that life presents, I am Still Focused on the Lord. Let’s be focused together!