I remember being a Staff Sergeant for JROTC my junior year in high school. Whenever my captain or lieutenant needed the attention of our platoon, he would shout “attention”. Everyone in their squad knew to stop what they were doing and listen completely to him. We needed his instruction. Thankfully, we were not preparing for battle, but we needed instruction on how to protect our high school, represent them, and how to march properly during ceremonial parades in the city.

Every day, I thank God for the opportunity of being a Christian writer and writing blog posts to uplift and encourage others. This week, the word “attention” stayed on my mind. Just like my JROTC experience, God wants to be the captain and lieutenant of our lives. He wants to instruct us. I love Matthew 6:33 because it’s a great reminder to seek God’s attention first and everything else would be added in our daily lives.

Inside each of us is a need for attention. We want to feel valued and loved. God values us and loves us. He values us because He created us in His image and likeness. He loves us because He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. Matthew 5:6 tells us those who are happy, fulfilled, and satisfied are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. Every day, I pray we make it our goal to live right and treat others rightly.

The world offers us many opportunities to be recognized and stand out above others. Sometimes, we can tear others down in order to lift ourselves up. As I thought about the word “attention”, I thought about how God repeatedly says “attend unto my words” to the early Biblical prophets. Time after time again, God used His prophets to minister and speak to the people of Israel. They kept straying away and every time they took their focus and “attention” off of God and placed it on idols, they found themselves in trouble and despair.

Many times we find ourselves in the midst of many troubles. The good thing is love knows no borders. The Lord told Hosea to go marry a promiscuous wife named Gomer. When I read the chapters of this book, I pondered why the Lord would tell Hosea to do that. God had a purpose and a plan and this was within His will. He wanted to show the people of Israel their love towards Him and the longevity of His love towards His people. No matter how many times Gomer ran around and cheated on her husband, Hosea went and rescued her. Imagine God rescuing us from our troubles with His love.

This week, I pray you and I take time to give God our full attention. He wants to instruct us and love on us. I strongly believe He wants to pour a deep revelation of His Word upon His children. May we silence our everyday distractions and focus on Him. Spend time in His presence. Let Him show you things to come and mysteries you could never imagine or dream of. Love you.