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Explore the biblical principles of looking straight ahead in your Christian walk. Learn from the teachings of Moses and Jesus, and discover how to cultivate a positive attitude, deep faith, and unwavering trust in God. Let this guidance inspire your spiritual journey and help you persevere through life’s challenges with the hope of eternal reward.

THE seal hunters were hopelessly lost in a world of ice and blinding snowstorms. When things were at their worst, one of them said, “I don’t believe any of us will survive to tell the tale.” However, a couple of the men persistently refused to lose heart. One of them, a section leader, was thinking affectionately of his fiancée. His love for her, grounded in the Christian faith, and the clear image of her face in his mind’s eye had saved many from death, similar to how God’s love guides us.

This true story illustrates Proverbs 4:25-26 (ESV), “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.” This principle can apply to our Christian walk as well.

The Christian Fight

Sometimes, the Christian fight against deviating from the righteous path can be as hard as the struggle of those exhausted seal hunters. Death sets in when a person ceases to “fight” and gives in to sin. The Bible encourages us to look straight ahead and not give up, just like the seal hunters.

Moses chose “to be mistreated with the people of God,” looking forward to the reward (Heb. 11:24-27, ESV). He looked to God, his Savior.

Jesus Christ himself looked ahead to the prize set before him, maintaining integrity through his bitter struggle (Heb. 5:7; Heb. 12:2, ESV).

WHAT WE SEE IF WE LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD

By looking straight ahead, we see God, who reveals Himself through His attributes and through Jesus Christ, who gave His life for our sins (Ps. 83:18; Acts 14:17; Col. 3:1-2; Acts 7:55-56, ESV).

We also glimpse the future glory of God’s kingdom and the paradise He promises. As Luke 11:34 (ESV) states, “The lamp of the body is your eye. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light.”

LOOKING STRAIGHT AHEAD REQUIRES EFFORT

Keeping focus on God requires effort. As 2 Timothy 3:1 (ESV) warns, “in the last days there will come times of difficulty.”

DEVELOP A POSITIVE OUTLOOK

We must strive to see the good in others as God sees the good in us (2 Chron. 19:3, ESV). Looking for the good and positive will keep us from weariness.

BUILD UP GREATER FAITH AND TRUST

An inferiority complex can be overcome by trust in God and understanding our worth in His eyes (Hag. 2:7; 2 Cor. 3:5, ESV).

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS

Excessive anxiety can be addressed through prayer and supplication. As Philippians 4:4-7 (ESV) encourages, let your requests be made known to God, and His peace will guard your heart.

DEEPEN

YOUR SPIRITUALITY

Just like physical vitality, spiritual vitality must be nurtured. Regular study of God’s word, prayer, and fellowship will strengthen our faith (Matt. 4:4; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 10:24-25, ESV).

WALK WITH GOD

Walking with God, as Enoch and Noah did, gives strength and companionship (Gen. 5:24; 6:9, ESV). This relationship helps in all circumstances, from loneliness to sin, through Christ’s redemptive work (1 John 1:7, ESV).

LOOKING AHEAD BRINGS A RICH REWARD

Our positive attitude, deep faith, trust in Christ’s sacrifice, and relationship with God will be our guiding forces. As Hebrews 10:39 (ESV) states, “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”

By looking straight ahead, we align ourselves with God’s will, walking with confidence and faith, knowing that God’s eternal promises are our rich reward.

Additional Thoughts

Looking Straight Ahead as a Christian

The Christian life is not always easy. There will be times when we face challenges that test our faith and our resolve. But it is important to remember that we have a great prize to look forward to: eternal life in the new world that God has promised us.

In the midst of difficult times, it is important to keep looking straight ahead and not give up. This is what the Bible teaches us. In Hebrews 12:2, the apostle Paul says, “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus is the perfect example of someone who kept looking straight ahead. He faced many challenges in his life, but he never gave up. He knew that he had a great prize to look forward to: the salvation of humanity.

We can also learn from the example of the seal hunters in the article. The hunters were lost in a snowstorm and exhausted, but they refused to give up. They kept looking straight ahead, and they eventually found their way to safety.

So how can we keep looking straight ahead in the Christian life? Here are a few tips:

Develop a positive outlook. It is easy to get discouraged when we face challenges, but it is important to focus on the good things in our lives. We should be grateful for our families, our friends, our health, and our blessings. When we focus on the good things, it will be easier to keep looking straight ahead.
Build up your faith and trust in God. We need to trust that God is in control and that he will help us to overcome any challenges we face. We can do this by studying the Bible, praying, and spending time with other Christians.
Don’t be anxious. Anxiety can weigh us down and make it difficult to focus on the future. We need to learn to trust God and to cast our cares on him (1 Peter 5:7).
Deepen your spirituality. We need to feed our minds and hearts with spiritual food. This means studying the Bible, praying, and spending time with other Christians. When we are spiritually strong, we will be better able to face the challenges of life.

Looking straight ahead is not always easy, but it is essential for Christians who want to live a life that is pleasing to God. By following the tips in this article, we can stay motivated and focused on the prize that awaits us: eternal life in the new world.

In addition to the tips mentioned above, here are some other things that we can do to keep looking straight ahead in the Christian life:

Set goals. Having goals to work towards will give us something to focus on and will help us to stay motivated.
Take breaks. When we are feeling overwhelmed, it is important to take a break and rest. This will help us to clear our heads and come back to our challenges refreshed.
Ask for help. There is no shame in asking for help when we are struggling. We can talk to our friends, family, pastor, or a Christian counselor.

Remember, we are not alone in this journey. God is with us every step of the way. If we keep looking straight ahead and never give up, we will eventually reach our destination: eternal life in the new world.

Walking with God

The Christian life is not always easy. There will be times when we face challenges that test our faith and our resolve. But it is important to remember that we have a great companion on our journey: God.

When we walk with God, we are not alone. He is always with us, guiding us, protecting us, and strengthening us. He is our constant source of hope and strength.

The Bible tells us that Enoch and Noah walked with God. They were faithful men who obeyed God’s commands, even when it was difficult. Because they walked with God, they were able to overcome the challenges they faced.

We can also walk with God by:

Pray to Him daily. Prayer is our way of communicating with God. When we pray, we can tell Him our needs, our fears, and our hopes. We can also thank Him for His blessings.
Read the Bible. The Bible is God’s Word to us. When we read the Bible, we can learn about God’s character, His love for us, and His plan for our lives.
Attend church. Church is a place where we can worship God with other believers. We can also learn from God’s Word and receive encouragement from other Christians.

When we walk with God, we can face any challenge. We can be confident that He will help us to overcome them.

Looking Ahead Brings a Rich Reward

In addition to the challenges we face in our personal lives, we may also have to face the “great tribulation.” This is a severe worldwide “storm” that will devastate this entire system of things. But God’s spirit will help us to weather this tempest and be found alive when it is all over and the sun rises over a cleansed earth, one that will be transformed into a global paradise.

Jehovah God does not want us to tire out and give up. He wants us to be among those who inherit the promises of the New World. So, let us not become weary, but let our personal relationship with Jehovah God, our faith in the ransom sacrifice of Jesus, and the bright outlook of the New Order be the energizing forces in our life. Then we shall be like Moses, who saw Jehovah by faith, and like Jesus, who looked ahead to the joy that was set before him.

Let us all walk with God and look ahead to the rich reward that He has promised us.

About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).