Working The Word (Walking Away From Addiction Into The Sweet Arms of Jesus) Change Your Focus

By: Hanny Lynn Stearns

Fish N Loaves Ministries, Inc.

“Multiplying God’s Word Around the Globe”

September 20, 2016

Change Your Focus

Daily Journal from October 1, 2015

I am sharing a journal from a year ago. May it encourage you.

By looking at what I was going through a year ago and comparing it with the progress the Lord has helped me to make now, I stand amazed at the glorious power of God and His word. After all that pain and toil over food, I have truly discovered it is working the word, by faith that really brings results. Time with the Lord and in His word will cause it to happen by His Spirit. Nothing else will ever get us there. As you read this, please know that I am sharing my struggle and finally, my victory in the deep desire that you may be encouraged to be strong in the Lord and the power of His might! Hallelujah!

Praise His name forever!

10/1/15

Philippians 2:12-14

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

I AM FREE! Focus on my freedom! Focus on Jesus! Change your focus.

John 8:29-36

And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

As he spake these words, many believed on him.

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

They answered him, we be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

I AM FREE!

Psalm 34

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

² My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

³ O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

⁴ I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

⁵ They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

⁶ This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

⁷ The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

⁸ O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

⁹ O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

¹⁰ The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

¹¹ Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

¹² What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

¹³ Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

¹⁴ Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

¹⁶ The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

¹⁷ The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

¹⁸ The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

²⁰ He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

²¹ Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

²² The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

Isaiah 48:18

O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

All I had to do was eat the way God showed me – at least that or even better and I would not have had turmoil and upset – just His sweet peace. That’s what He gave me. Don’t let anyone or anything take that away from me.

 The focus needs to shift back to the Lord. Last week the Lord showed me the enemy’s tactic to get me focused on food, diet’s and calories and exercise, anything that would take me away from being with Jesus. But as I went to my knees in prayer this morning I had many tears, like vomiting a bunch of pain and junk that was overdue to come out. I needed healing and comfort that only the Lord can give.

When I am more like Mary and less like busy Martha, I can sit with Jesus and absorb His love. The majority of the time should be spent behind closed doors in prayer/communion with the Lord. Then out of that the other ¼ of the time, as I minister to others, what has been given to me can be used of the Lord to flow out to others. It seems so simple. We just need to be alert because the enemy comes back around trying to take our focus off of what God said, like Adam and Eve in the garden. First he got them to change their focus to something other than what God said. Once he accomplished that, the rest was a “cake walk” so to speak. After their focus was off God and on the flesh and the things in the world (food) than it was easy to coax them into taking the next step.

We must maintain our focus on the Lord. When we do, the burden is light. His yoke really is easy. We must watch and pray and work out our salvation. We must give God plenty of time to do in us what He wants to do so we can be well equipped to go out and do what He is calling us to do. Even though the crying hurts, the other alternatives are much, much worse. I love His peace. I want that peace.

John 13:34-35

 A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 3:34

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

The Lord said to me, “Let that be your passion each day. Focus on me. Know how the enemy works. Be aware of his schemes, but keep your focus on Me. When you were doing well before you were focusing on Me and My word and you spent much time with Me in prayer and study. This gave you great strength and peace and you were well prepared when you went into tempting situations. You also stayed away from restaurants as it was expensive and difficult to tell what you were getting.

You will do well to return to those principals once again. When your husband is away, you have a lot of time you can spend with me as I tell you what step to take through each phase of your journey. Trust Me is every detail of your life. Let not your heart be troubled. Trust in God, trust in Jesus. He is praying for you. Once you are strengthened, you may be used to go out and strengthen others.”

Work the word by saying it out loud over your life every day. It will make a difference!