Insight for Today
A Daily Devotional by Pastor Chuck Swindoll

Focus on the Father

Jesus has touched on things that are so down to earth and so practical you would think the ink was still wet. They could have been written this very morning. In a sense they were . . . that’s the way God’s Word is, always alive and active and sharp.

Now, how do we make it happen—come alive—in our lives? Let me give you a couple of suggestions.

First, make the heavenly Father, not people, your main focus. Remember the prayer pattern? “Our Father who art in heaven” . . . we’re not praying to all the people who watch us. “Hallowed by Thy name” . . . not all folks around us—none of their names are hallowed. “Thy will be done . . . Thy kingdom come” . . . not the will of our fellow church members.

Have you allowed yourself to fall under the thumb of somebody’s will? No wonder you don’t enjoy life! You are taking your cues from those who frown back at you. What do they know about what God is doing in your life?

I’ll be candid with you. The older I get, the less I worry about what people think and the more I concern myself with what God thinks. When I get His green light, I confess, I move in that direction and He and I have the time of our lives. But, invariably, there are some people who don’t understand. (Many don’t want to understand.) That is why I encourage others to focus on Him. I strongly suggest you do the same. But watch out . . . it will change your life.

Second: Make the secret place, not the public place, your primary platform. You want a safe space to spend more time? Choose the secret place. Spend more time there and less time seeking the public platform. In that secret place you will find a quiet depth and courageous invincibility that is nothing short of contagious.

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