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THINGS TO FOCUS ON PART 4 — REMEMBERING WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY DONE “I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.” Psalm 77:11 Have you ever come across an old prayer request written in the margin of your Bible or in your journal?  You see the name or the date, and all at once you remember how much that situation weighed on you. Then perhaps you remember the phone call that came at just the right time, or the person who showed up and helped you get through a week you weren’t sure you could face.  You thanked God for it then, but there are times when we fail to remember. The psalmist knew what it was like to have a troubled night. In Psalm 77, he speaks of being unable to sleep and wondering if God had forgotten to be gracious. Right there in the middle of those questions, he says, “I will remember the works of the LORD.”

THINGS TO FOCUS ONPART 3 — THE PEOPLE GOD PLACED IN YOUR LIFE “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”— Philippians 2:4 There’s a moment that happens in a lot of homes. Someone starts telling us about their day while we’re putting away groceries or looking at our phone. We say, “I’m listening,” and we catch just enough to follow the basics of the story. But we miss the essence of what they really wanted to say. I think about that when I read Paul’s words. He tells us to look also on the things of others. That  word also makes room for both the responsibilities we have and the people who may need our attention. Sometimes obeying this verse is as simple as setting the phone down and saying, “That sounds interesting. What happened after that?”The truth is we can become so familiar with someone’s voice that we could be right by them while they’re talking and still not really hear them.

Sometimes we discover what is actually  in our hearts by hearing what comes out of our mouths. Someone asks an innocent question, and we answer more sharply than we should.  Later, we think about it and realize our reaction had very little to do with what that person said.  Something had been bothering you long before the conversation began and your response was triggered by those thoughts. Proverbs gives us a warning about such things: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” — Proverbs 4:23

THINGS TO FOCUS ON PART 1 — YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD There is always something that needs our attention. Before the day gets underway, our minds can already be filled with responsibilities, appointments, and unfinished tasks. We begin moving from one thing to another, hoping somewhere along the way we will find a few quiet moments with the Lord. But those moments rarely happen on their own. Something else always seems to get in the way of time we intended to give Him. In Luke chapter ten, Jesus visited the home of Martha and Mary. Martha was occupied with serving, while Mary sat at His feet and listened to His Word. Eventually, Martha became frustrated and asked Jesus to tell her sister to help. “But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” — Luke 10:42 Now, Martha’s work mattered. Serving a meal and welcoming guests were expressions of love and service. But in her concern for everything that needed doing, she was becoming troubled and distracted. Jesus simply called her attention back to what was needed most.

THE MIND NEEDS SOMEWHERE TO GO “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” — Philippians 4:8 Yesterday we talked about the perfect peace God promises when our minds are stayed on Him. I heard from several of you who said that was something you needed. One listener wrote, “With so much negativity in the air, it is refreshing to hear a Word that can recenter our thoughts on what we know to be true.” Song: “As Long As I Have You” Written By: Eddie B. Woodard Copyright 2026 - All Rights Reserved - Make Memories Music Publishers

STAY FOCUSED ON PEACE Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. — Isaiah 26:3 For many these days, your feet barely touched the floor in the morning before your mind begins to travel into a future you cannot possibly predict. You imagine troubles that haven’t arrived, and outcomes that may never exist. Before the day has been able to offer anything, perhaps you have already filled it with concern. Meanwhile, the coffee growing cold, someone you love is sitting nearby, and another day of life is waiting to be lived. Worry has a way of making us overlook what is here because we are so occupied with what might be coming. I understand how easily that happens. Especially in these uncertain times. They give our imaginations plenty of material to form opinions and scenarios. But when you put your imagination into the hands of fear, it can paint a picture that leaves very little room for faith and trust in God.

BEYOND THE DEAD END Matthew 7:13–14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” There was a road in the community where I grew up that ended at Mr. Tucker’s farm. A sign told you it was a dead end, and as far as most people knew, that was the end of the road. But those of us who lived around there knew about a small path beyond the sign. If Mr. Tucker gave you permission to cross his property, you could follow that path to one of the best fishing spots along Richland Creek. I wonder how many people saw the sign, turned around, and never knew what was waiting just beyond it. Life can feel that way. A door closes. A plan falls apart. A season we loved comes to an end. We stand there looking at what seems to be a dead end, wondering where we are supposed to go now, I guess I should just turn around.

TAKE A SECOND LOOK Mark 8:23-25 23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. 24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. 25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. When Jesus touched the blind man at Bethsaida, the man could see, but everything was still blurry. He could make out people moving around him, though they looked like trees. Then Jesus touched his eyes again, and the man saw clearly. I have wondered what that moment felt like. After living in darkness, the man could finally see something. He might have been grateful enough to say, “That will do.” But when Jesus asked what he saw, he answered honestly.

FRONT PORCH FRIDAY: WE’RE ALL CONNECTED Galatians 6:10 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith I caught myself saying something the other day and thought, Where did I get that? Then I realized I’d heard someone else say it years ago. Somehow it had worked its way into my everyday conversation without my noticing. We pick up more from each other than we think. A favorite expression. A way of making someone feel good. Around this area, we have a habit of waving at every car on a country road, whether we know the driver or not. Some things are taught to us on purpose. Others simply become part of us because we spent time with someone. That got me thinking about how many lives go into making one life.

REMEMBERING GOD’S MERCY Psalm 77:11 “I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.” Over these past few days, we have talked about receiving mercy, recognizing it, and showing Mercy to others. Today, I want to ask a question: What do we do when we remember God’s mercy? It is possible to be grateful for what God has done and still forget it when life becomes difficult again. A new concern fills our thoughts or an old fear returns. We begin wondering whether the Lord will help us through this trouble, even though He has just carried us through others.

SHOWING MERCY Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. We have talked about receiving mercy and recognizing it. But mercy was never meant to stop with us. What God has shown us can shape the way we respond to someone else. That becomes difficult when the hurt is personal. It is easy to speak about mercy until someone has disappointed us, spoken against us, or failed to keep a promise. Then we want them to understand exactly how much damage they caused. Showing mercy does not mean pretending the hurt never happened. It does not require us to trust someone who continues to cause harm. We can speak honestly, set a boundary, and still choose to treat that person with dignity. Mercy refuses to let their wrong decide what kind of person we will become.

RECOGNIZING MERCY Yesterday, we talked about receiving mercy. Today, I want us to consider whether we really even recognize it when it comes. Jesus healed ten men who had leprosy. All ten began walking toward the priests as He instructed them, and along the way, they were cleansed. They had asked Jesus for mercy, and He had answered. Yet only one turned back to thank Him. I wonder how often we have been like the other nine. We pray for help, then get so caught up in moving forward that we fail to stop and recognize what God has done. Sometimes His mercy is unmistakable. A prayer is answered. A relationship begins to heal. A burden we thought we could not bear becomes a little lighter. We know we have been helped and God has shown us Mercy.

RECEIVING MERCY Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” There are things we find easy to give to someone else but difficult to receive ourselves. Mercy can be one of them. Mercy is compassion shown to someone in need, especially when they could have been met with judgment instead. God’s mercy means He sees us fully, including where we have gone wrong, and still invites us to come to Him for forgiveness and help.

FRONT PORCH FRIDAY: THE LITTLE THINGS WE KEEP Some things in our homes would mean very little to anyone else. An old photograph. A birthday card with a few words written inside. A ticket from a trip, or a small toy a grandchild once placed in our hand. I still have shoes, toothbrushes, hair bows, and all kinds of things that are priceless to me. We keep them because they remind us of someone, or take us back to a moment we are thankful we lived. Joshua was commanded to place 12 stones on the Bank of the Jordan river once they crossed over. Joshua 4:5-6 5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: 6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? The stones gave the next generation a reason to ask, “What do these mean?”

DON’T LET FEAR CHOOSE FOR YOU Joshua 1:9 “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” When we stand at a crossroads, fear often speaks first. It points out everything that could go wrong. It reminds us of past disappointments and whether we are really ready for the changes that lie ahead. Fear can sound so reasonable that we mistake it for wisdom. Joshua knew what it was to face a Crossroad. Moses was gone, and the responsibility of leading God’s people now rested on him. God did not give Joshua a promise that the journey would be easy. He gave him a command to be courageous and a reason he could obey it: because “the LORD thy God is with thee.”