Yesterday I was speaking at rest home from 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. I was using grace and mercy as my two illustrations for focus on the eternal.
2 Corinthians 12:9 is a great example. Paul pleaded with the Lord three times to remove the thorn in his flesh. When the Lord changed his focus from the temporary thorn to eternal grace, Paul’s whole attitude changed.
In Lamentations 3:16-24 we have another example. Jeremiah was having a very hard time. He was wallowing in emotional pain, but then changed his focus to God’s eternal mercy. His whole wording goes from despairing to hope as he recalls God’s faithfulness.
Purposed change of focus, is choosing to trust God’s higher way of enduring. I’ve been meditating on Psalm 40:4. He “makes” the Lord his trust. Makes is deliberate, intentional, focused, determined, and purposed. That is what we do when we take our eyes off the temporary and focus on His eternal gifts.
M's Creations 
We need to continually practice where our focus is. As Steven’s wresting coach once said, “practice doesn’t make perfect, practice makes permanent.” Dave Rottenberg
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Profitable insight! I like the statement that it is ‘us’ that makes the deliberate choice of what we focus our mind on. My first thought was in Phil. 3:13 where Paul said, “Forgetting those things which are in the past….I press forward toward things ahead.” And also including the verse in Phil. 4:8 “if there be ………….things of good report…..THINK (deliberate action) on these things. We have His strength but we do need to make choices.
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