Scripture Reading
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’s assistant, saying, “My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all [these] people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall lead this people to possess the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:1-9 (NRSVUE)
Introductory Remarks:
A plan is not a plan unless you follow it in a focused way. When there is focus there is certainty. Without focus, there is uncertainty, yielding unfruitful action.
‘Distractions are all around us. It is the person who decides to ‘focus’ their efforts that gains the prize that the plan promises.’
S. McKeithen
Major Points of the Lesson:
- Focus is a decision that you make. To focus is to ‘give attention, effort, etc., to one particular subject, situation, or person rather than another.’ Oxford Online Learning Dictionary.
- Your plan of action serves as a ‘blueprint’ or ‘map’ that leads you to the end goal. It is God’s plan for you. Like Joshua, we must focus on the plan, refusing to turn to the left or right, but in the strength of the Almighty, courageously acting as the plan dictates. Only then will we be successful in hitting the target, reaching the end goal or attaining the prize.
Quote:
“Remember, it’s all about focus. The main reason most people struggle professionally and personally is simply lack of focus. They procrastinate or allow themselves to be easily distracted and interrupted.”
The Power of Focus by J. Canfield, M.V. Hansen, and L. Hewitt