Today's focus determines tomorrow's destination

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...the Lord God knows how to save those who are devoted to him. He will save them when troubles come. (2 Peter 2:9)

We may not realize just how much God has his watchful eye upon us, or that he is hard at work protecting us from evil all around us, but he is right there, and he is 'at work'! God knows how to save us from ourselves, and he knows how to save us from all manner of evil that comes into our lives! When troubles come, look up. When anxiety reaches deep within your soul, praise God. When heartache seems to overwhelm every emotion, fall on your knees and pour your heart out to him. He is your Savior!

Several examples are given to us in the previous verses - examples of good men who served the Lord in very difficult circumstances. Noah served God with an unwavering heart, even in the face of evil people all around him. He lived a lifestyle that "told people about living right." Lot lived among vile and unholy people, who engaged in terrible acts of evil, all the while he "was greatly troubled by the morally bad lives of those evil people. This good man lived with those evil people every day, and his good heart was hurt by the evil things he saw and heard." In spite of it all, they served God and looked to him for their deliverance.

Everywhere we look, stressors abound. Everywhere we turn, evil is attempting to make an inroad. What can we do in the midst of such chaos? Live right, even when the crowds aren't. Live strong, even when the pressures seem to mount. Live with integrity, even when others are questioning why we live the way we do. In so doing, we welcome the presence of God into the 'chaos' of this evil world, and we become beacons of his grace and love to it. We may not see God at work, but we can trust that he is. We may not 'feel' God in our midst, but that doesn't mean he isn't there. 

God knows how to save those who are DEVOTED to him. The key to living in the midst of evil - live devoted to him. Zealous in our beliefs, loyal in our commitment to have no other god before him, and with affection that is genuine. Devoted individuals are constant in their focus - today's focus determines tomorrow's destination, so don't let your focus drift! Just sayin!

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