FAITH CAPSULE: The focus will keep one from being distracted.

Genesis 19:12-26, Daniel 1

Having a clean heart and a steadfast spirit is walking in the Lord. 
A clean heart and steadfast spirit are evidence of maintaining focus on the things of God. 
Maintaining focus is crucial to making an advance and answering the calling of God. 
The focus will keep one from being distracted.
A failure to maintain focus shall experience derail not to arrive at the assignment of God.
Distraction can be a lane for destruction. 
In this wicked world, maintain focus and not be distracted to experience destruction.
When the young Daniel was in captivity maintaining focus on God as he purposed for his heart not to defile God. 
The king ordered a daily provision of his delicacies and wine with three years of training for Daniel and his friends. 
All sounds good for a young captive but declined all to give to God.
To Daniel, King’s provision was considered anti-focus. 
Daniel refused anti-focus but chose to maintain focus. Daniel 1:8 records, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore, he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”  
Daniel remained focused on God, and he made advances everywhere he turned. 
Daniel focused with a purposeful heart for God.
Daniel allowed God to reign in his life when he refused to defile his body (the temple of God). 
Above all, Daniel was steadfast not to contradict his journey but advanced to the glory of God. 
The wife of Lot focused on the past. She could not let the past be in the past but disregarded the command of God. 
Genesis 19:17 states, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”  
The wife of Lot did the opposite when she looked back and became a pillar of salt (Genesis19:26) 
Looking back against the command of God, the wife of Lot gave herself to the past.
The wife of Lot became a pillar of salt and did not escape as ordained for her by God.
No one will go forward in life by focusing on the past. 
One looking back sets sight on the past and will not be able to see what is ahead. 
The case of the wife of Lot is that of a shifted focus. 
Lot maintained focus by looking forward to where the Lord was taking him and his family. 
Daniel could not allow any distraction because he maintained focus. 
With focus, advance in your calling for God.
Allow God to become glorified in your life.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to gain and maintain the presence of God in your life.