Pastor Kyle's Devotion

When I was a young boy I found it most difficult to wing shoot a quail.  I have walked many miles with my dad and brother hunting upland game.  In my opinion there is really nothing quite like a dog on point and flushing a covey of quail or ringneck pheasant.  Indeed, it was enough to send a kids heart racing.  I found it easy to walk through the farm fields of north Missouri and trail the dogs.  The hard part was shouldering the shotgun, taking a focused aim on the bird, and shooting a quail in flight.  Often times, the excitement of the flush would overwhelm me to the point I would often shoot but without focusing to aim.  As a result, I missed many times.  Life requires a similar focus.  In order to accomplish God’s will for our lives we must focus.  We cannot simply live life haphazardly and expect to faithfully fulfill God’s plan for our lives.  But what should we be focused on?  The Bible explains in Colossians 3:1-2, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”  The Apostle Paul exhorted the Christians at the church in Colossae to set their minds and to seek the things above.  The verse is so clear and straight forward that a Bible scholar is not required to understand what is being talked about.  Simply put, we are to think about heaven.  We are not to seek out and set our minds on the sinful things found in this world which Paul refers to as the things on the earth.  Jesus explains that the earth will pass away.  Let me encourage you to focus with great intentionality this new year on heaven and God’s will for you life.  May His will be done in your life here on earth as it is in heaven.