I thought of a Story that I heard, several years ago, about a man that had recently moved to a new location, not too far from where I live now. I can’t remember his name, so let’s call him Pete. Pete’s house was situated near a heavily wooded, creek bottom several miles from the nearest town.
He had gone to his neighbor’s house to visit in the early evening before it was dark. By the time he was ready to go home, it had gotten dark, and in that particular area, there are no street lights or anything to light the path back to his place. It was also some distance, maybe a quarter mile or so between the two houses. The only discernable landmark was the porch light on his house, a quarter mile away and through the dark woods.
Concerned that he might fall in a stumphole or trip over a root the neighbor offered the loan of a flashlight, which he accepted gratefully. Pete struck out, looking toward the porch light on his house and following the flashlight’s beam on the ground.
As the story goes, sometime later someone from Pete’s house called the neighbor to tell Pete it was time to come home. “But Pete left a while ago, he should’ve been home ages ago” was the reply on the other end of the line. The two houses emptied out into the darkness calling out “PETE!, PETE! With only the silence and darkness to answer their call. The searchers regrouped, got a little better organized, flashlights were gathered, and they spread out continuing to call out Pete’s name into the darkness.
Happily, within a few short minutes, they heard the faint reply of Pete’s shaky and scared voice answering their call. Within a few more minutes Pete was safe and sound back in his house and in his own bed.
Apparently, Pete had drifted into the distraction of his own thoughts and was also mesmerized by the soft glow of the flashlight’s beam moving on the ground. Completely ignoring the porch light, with every swing of his arm and every step toward that magical ball of light on the ground he went further and further off course. Finally, snapping to and realizing that he should have been home by now only to see nothing in any direction but darkness. Not knowing where he went off course he had no way of getting back where he belonged, every step was a guess and a mystery from there.
Pete had started out with all the tools he needed to get home. He had a landmark, a clear destination, he also had a torch to illuminate the immediate path in front of him through the darkness. What he failed to do was keep his eyes fixed on the destination, Pete got distracted. Pete got lost.
Most Christians don’t go from Victory to Sin in one step, just like Ol’ Pete didn’t leave the security of the path immediately. He started out looking at the Porch Light he was trying to get to. But over a little time, Pete became distracted and took his eyes off the destination. Then he wandered off course and before long realized he was hopelessly lost.
Your enemy knows if he can get your eyes off the prize, off the destination, and onto your situation that that’s the first steps toward the dark. If he can keep you burdened with life, with pains, hardships, wrongs, with work, or with money problems long enough that you’ll stop looking up altogether and lose sight of the Way.
We have to be sober and vigilant, keeping our focus on Christ Jesus. His word is a Lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, but we also have to keep the Light of Home in view so we know we’re staying on course.
Habits are formed over time. Get in the habit of Praising God always, Thanking him for everything and trusting where he is taking you. Keeping Jesus in front of your eyes always is key to reaching your destination.
But what about the distractions of this Life? I believe that I am God’s child, I belong to Him. God owns me, I am His property. As such He owns everything to do with me, my joy, my peace, my prosperity, my pains, failures, and problems. All things work together, right?
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
If I can give it to Jesus and let Him do with it as He pleases then I can keep my focus on Him and not on what are now His problems.
Casting all your cares upon Him and keeping your eyes on the Porch Light.
God Bless you richly.
Greg
The Swimming Axehead 