The Secret of the Third Prince.
Psalm 25:15NLT
We were walking through a large open Desert plain covered with loose sand. As we walked my friend told me to seek to walk in a straight line. So I kept walking as he watched. He let me go on for a few minutes. “Stop,” he yelled from the distance. Now turn around and look.
I was sure that I had been walking a straight line, but the foot prints in the sand revealed that I had veered markedly off to the right.
What’s the answer? How can ‘one’ walk straight for a long distance?
Psalms 25:15NLT “My eyes are always on the Lord, for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.”
Matthew Henry: Those that have their eye ever towards God shall not have their feet long in the net.
Again, David cries, “My eyes are forever on the Lord, My feet are continually set free, and delivered from satan’s trap!”
My friend said, Howard, let me tell you a story.
There was once a king, who issued a challenge to the princess of a neighboring land that whoever among them could, over a long journey of varying landscapes, walk in a straight line to the kings castle would have the right to ask for his daughters hand in marriage.
The first prince embarked on the journey, looking to his right, and left to make sure he was not veering off in either direction.
But, like me, despite his best efforts, the further he journeyed, the more off course he veered.
The second prince determined to look down, to keep his eyes on his feet, making sure that every footstep followed in the same path as the foot step before. -Yet he too ended badly off course.
But the third prince embarked on the journey, looking neither to the right, nor the left, nor down at his footsteps.
And yet at the end, he was determined that he had walked in a straight line. No one could figure out how he did it. So he told them his secret.
~All I did was look into the far distance to the light on the crown of the castle tower. I didn’t look at my path or the landscape to my right and left. I just kept my eyes on that light, and kept pressing on toward that light, until I arrived there.
Where is you gaze? What makes you stare? What is your focus?
Fortuneteller, gazing into crystal ball, to frog: “You are going to meet a beautiful young woman. From the moment she sets eyes on you she will have an insatiable desire to know all about you. She will be compelled to get close to you--you’ll fascinate her."
Frog: "Where am I? At a singles club?" Fortuneteller: "Biology class."
Again the text, Psalms 25:15AMP “My eyes are continually toward the Lord, For He will bring my feet out of the net.”
Ive drawn this conclusion, “If my eyes are set on the Lord, He will be responsible to keep me safe. He will rescue me from every trap, because my eyes are fixed on my Lord.”
For the doubter, the skeptic who would say, “What if He doesn’t rescue me?”
Jesus states in, Matthew 10:28AMP Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
“No where in scripture are we taught to fear the devil. Believers are taught to resist the devil and he will flee!” P.H
We are called to walk a straight path in God. -But how does one do that over the course of a lifetime and over a long journey of varying landscapes and changing circumstances?
Know this for sure: Not by focusing on your circumstances, or even on your own walk.
Rather, you fix your eyes on your destinations, despite your surroundings, despite the mountains and the valleys, despite the highs and the lows, despite even your own walk and footsteps.
Martin Luther had a dream in which he stood on the day of judgment before God Himself--and Satan was there to accuse him. When Satan opened his books full of accusations, he pointed to transgression after transgression of which Luther was guilty. As the proceedings went on, Luther's heart sunk in despair. Then he remembered the cross of Christ--and turning upon Satan, he said, "There is one entry which you have not made, Satan." The Devil retorted, "What is that?" And Luther answered, "It is this- the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses from all sins."
You fix your eyes on the eternal, on Him… And you press forward, pressing always closer to Him… Your goal… And you will surely end up there… And straight will be your journey.
Jeremiah 31:9NLT “Tears of joy will stream down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care. They will walk beside quiet streams and on smooth paths where they will not stumble. For I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my oldest child.”
For the confident believer, always looking to God, tears of Joy will stream down their faces. The believer shall walk besides...quiet streams...smooth paths...
Did you know that the testings and temptations you overcome because of your walk… Those tears of sorrow, tears of grief, and those tears of hardships, will eventually become tears of joy!
Job 23:10-11NLT “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside.”
Today, practice the secret of the third prince. In all things, in all situations, fix your eyes on your goal, on him, and draw continually closer.
Hebrews 12:1-2TPT “As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us. 2 We look away from the natural realm and we focus our attention and expectation onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!”
What is your heart set on? Maybe you’re looking down, thinking nothing will change. Maybe you gaze down fearing the unknown. Just possibly you’re looking down trusting your own walk.
~All these actions and more will curve your path. P.H
What’s is your heart set on? Quite possibly you’re looking to the left and right.
Looking around, Looking to people, looking for approval, looking to self help, looking to idols, fairytales, superstition. Looking for man’s help.
If we are going to endure until the end with Jesus, there are several things to remember to keep you on course.
The first thing to remember to keep you on course. ~Get rid of deadweight, distractions and sins.
These are all satan’s devices, They keep you looking down, and around.
In, Matthew 4, temptations of Jesus were intended to make him look down and around. ~However Jesus kept His eyes on His Father.
Getting rid of dead weight means, cutting the rope, burning down the bridge, no looking back.
2. The second thing to remember in staying the course. -Remember the witness’.
You are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. These witnesses are proof. Such as, Abel, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Noah, Your parents etc.
3. The third thing to remember in staying the course. -Run with patience.
Isaiah 40:31NKJV But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
4. The fourth thing to remember in staying the course. -look away from the natural, focus on Jesus.
Sitting here in what C. S. Lewis called the Shadowlands, we must remind ourselves what Scripture tells us about Heaven. We will one day be delivered from the blindness that obscures the light of God’s world.
If I could make one cry, one plea, it would be, “Look away from the natural. Be aware and in awe of the Spirit.” P.H
2 Corinthians 4:18NLT So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
The shadowlands makes a person long for clarity. All clouds, and cloudy visions will be taken away.
5. The fifth thing to remember in staying the course. -Only Jesus can birthed faith within. ~He’s our author and finisher of faith.
Your faith journey is all about Jesus. -The eternal always includes Jesus.
6. The sixth thing to remember in staying the course. -Jesus conquered the humiliation of the cross.
Nothing. Because of Jesus. Not one curse can come upon you. Isaiah 53, Matthew 8:17, tell its reader, that Jesus bore our sins, and carried our diseases.
Again, Hebrews 12:2...he (Jesus) endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of God.
7. The seventh and final thing to remember in staying the course. -Jesus sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!”
Benediction. So when you keep you eyes, your gaze, on Jesus, You’re trusting the exalted One! The secret of the third Prince, keep your gaze on Jesus!
