The roller coaster came to a sudden stop, and Timmy was still screaming with his eyes closed and his hand gripping the armbar of his seat. He couldn’t believe he had just ridden the newest ride in the entire theme park, “The Big Bad Bull.”

Timmy could still feel the twist and the turns as he gently planted his feet on firm ground again. It was bright, and as he tried to refocus His eyes to the light, he looked back, peering at the dark tunnel he had just come through.

Timmy muttered to himself, “I have just conquered my greatest fear.”

Not being able to see in the darkness was that fear. Not only had he conquered this fear, he had sped through darkness on a scary roller coaster!

You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

~Deuteronomy 8:2 NASB

One morning I woke up thinking about a scripture that had been placed on my wife’s heart a few days before, Deuteronomy 8:2. Initially, I read this verse while temporarily staying in a hotel due to a flood at our home. The Lord had placed this on my heart then, and it excited me to know God had also given my wife the same verse. It was as if God was saying, “Let Me remind you both to remember My ways.”

I can honestly say I needed to refocus at the time.

Just like Timmy navigated through the dark tunnel and into the light, after dark moments in the spiritual realm, there is light once again as we refocus on our Savior.

I never want to forget where the Lord is amid uncertainty. I felt the Lord gave me a reconnection to the vision–that His desires, not mine, is what I should follow. Interestingly enough, this came at a pinnacle point. I had just gone through a disappointment to my flesh about something I felt Lord leading me to begin, but His answer was “Not yet.”

Honestly, I was not ready for how this scripture spoke to me. God told me as I prayed, “Remember how I have walked with you, and led you in the wilderness?” As I acknowledged His leading, a thought came to my mind about “the wilderness.” It is “the breaking of the way” or “the breaking of the known path.” God carries us through some of the most challenging paths that have not been traveled before, but everyone must go the same way. He leads each of us to break the way. He shows us how to keep our eyes on Him and remember the humility, the testing, and His examination of us, while we are in the wilderness.

The purposes of God are not always known, but the can be trusted. Today, I would encourage you not to go back to the former life, but to keep moving with God, in step with His directions.

~Charles E. Maldon, Jr., author of In the Beginning: Godliness through Marriage

Do you need to refocus on God? Do so today.

Father God, I thank You for the reminder to keep going regardless of uncertainty. Help me to not stop, turn around, or forget how You have led us in times past. Lord, help me never to lose sight of Your vision for me. Teach me to never become distracted by the blessings, or fall back to the known path which leads to destruction.

In Jesus’ s Name, Amen.

Genre: Anecdotal story, fiction; Commentary, non-fiction

Copyright 2021: Refocus: Charles E. Maldon, Jr.: All Rights Reserved

Meet Our Contributor

CHARLES E. MALDON, JR.

Charles E. Maldon Jr., is an ordained reverend, speaker, writer and mentor. However, the title he is most proud of is a servant of Christ.

Charles is a devotion/article writer for VineWords: Devotions and More, specializing in the area of marriage, with the goal of helping men improve their marriages.

Charles’s mission in life is to encourage others to know their true value by developing an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ. As the Lord continues to mold him, Charles uses his colorful life experiences, both “good and bad”, as real-life ministry tools. He believes there are treasures to be found in every trial—perspective is everything. 

The crux of his writing is to bring others to freedom through authentic transparency. In addition to his writing, Charles is the founder/administrator of Break-Thru Ministries,a men’s ministry which focuses on helping the family, especially men, to become all that Christ created them to be. He enjoys helping men to fulfill their calling in life, relationships, and manhood.

He is currently in the process of revising his book, In the Beginning: Godliness through Marriage. He is a member of the Maryland Writer’s Association and Word Weavers. He also blogs on his ministry page, Break-Thru Ministries, where his hope is to touch someone with the love of Jesus.

Charles is the proud father of two boys and resides in North Carolina with his lovely wife Lekeisha. In his spare time, he enjoys working out, traveling and spending time with his family.

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