Cover It With Love

Lately, during my quiet time, I have noticed something.

Anytime I am tempted to worry, doubt, or jump ahead of God with my plans, my spirit gets flooded with the words of God. Not loud. Not harsh. Just steady. Trustworthy. Familiar. Anchoring.

Words I have read over the years. Words that have somehow moved from the pages of my Bible onto the tablet of my heart.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
— Matthew 6:33

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”
— Psalm 23:5

And then I think about Peter.

Peter stepped out of the boat. He actually walked on water. But the moment he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the wind, he began to sink.

I think that is why Jesus explains the “Four Soils” and explicitly explains what each soil means.

The Path — Hard Heart: The seed falls on a hardened path and the birds eat it. This represents someone who hears the message but does not understand it, and the devil immediately snatches it away.

Rocky Ground — Shallow Heart: The seed springs up quickly but withers because it lacks deep roots to survive the heat. This represents a person who receives the message with joy, but falls away as soon as trouble or persecution arises.

Among Thorns — Divided Heart: The seed grows but is eventually choked out by thorns and weeds. This represents someone who hears the Word, but the worries of life, the desire for wealth, and other distractions choke it out so it produces no fruit.

Good Soil — Receptive Heart: The seed takes root, grows, and produces a massive crop. This represents a person who hears, understands, and embraces the Word, producing a changed life and spiritual fruit.

He explains it for our good. To warn us. To wake us up. To remind us that we do have an enemy in this world, and we also have an enemy in our being — our flesh.

And maybe that is why where we fix our eyes matters so much.

Fix your eyes.

Not on the enemies around the table.
Not on the storm under your feet.
Not on the timeline you are trying to control.
Not on the plan you keep trying to perfect.

Fix your eyes on Jesus.

Jesus is not just part of the story. He is the point of the story.

He is our Creator.
He is our Savior.
He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
He is the One who prepares the table.
He is the One who reaches for Peter.
He is the One who tells us to seek first His Kingdom.
He is the One who teaches us how to live.

And if He is all of that, shouldn’t we be a little more concerned with what He has to say?

Not just reading His words, but doing them.
Not just knowing Scripture, but letting Scripture know us.
Not just asking God to bless our plans, but surrendering our plans to His Kingdom.

The Bible really is our basic instructions before leaving earth B.I.B.L.E.

But those instructions are not meant to sit on a shelf. They are meant to become part of us. Written on the tablet of our hearts. Ready to rise up when fear comes knocking. Ready to steady us when doubt starts talking. Ready to redirect us when we are tempted to run ahead of God.

Today I am asking myself a simple question:

Where are my eyes fixed?

Because when my eyes are fixed on the storm, I sink.
When my eyes are fixed on my enemies, I fear.
When my eyes are fixed on my plans, I strive.
But when my eyes are fixed on Jesus, I remember.

I remember that He is faithful.
I remember that He is near.
I remember that He has already gone before me.
I remember that He can prepare a table even in the presence of what threatens me and dine with me, feast on what He says. For greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.
I remember that seeking Him first is never wasted.

Just some thoughts swirling around today.

Does anyone relate?

Consider this, the peace we are looking for is not found in figuring everything out.

It begins when we look up.

Fix your eyes on Jesus.

Cover it with love.