“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”  Psalm 42:1-2 

When I ponder what it means to have an intense focus, an interesting picture comes to mind.  I think of my son Michael sitting in front of his video games.

Michael is typically a very loving and affectionate child.  He loves to be hugged, loves to wrestle, and loves to tell you what he thinks about everything that is going on.  However, when the Wii is on, he sees nothing else. With great intensity, he stares at the screen and refuses to look away. 

There have been times when the phone has been sitting right next to him ringing and he doesn’t notice.  I can ask him a question or call him to dinner and he doesn’t hear.  I can even get into the freezer to take out the ice cream and he wouldn’t even flinch…now that is focus.   When that game is on, he is ALL in.  He is not partially committed. He is not mostly committed.  He is 100% all the way devoted heart, soul, mind and strength. That is what God wants from us. He wants ALL.  

Jesus made this very clear when He summed up the greatest commandment in Mark 12:30:   “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” He wants all of our heart…all of our soul…all of our mind…and all of our strength. And what is more, he deserves ALL of it.  He deserves all of our time, not just a couple days a week.  We should give Him all of our energy, not just the leftovers.  He is worthy of all our affections, and all of our focus. 

Just like Michael, our gaze should be fixated on Him and the things of the world; all of the distractions it offers should not steal us away.  

So today we pray that our hearts would be so captivated with passionate love for God that the things that are nagging for attention would fade in the light of His magnificent presence.