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I am preparing a message on the importance of eliminating distractions and making Christ and His crucifixion our focal point. These New Testament Scriptures illustrate the point:

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2).

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, ‘you are upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her’ (Luke 10:38-42).

When I preach and teach, I like to use the Old Testament Scriptures to illustrate New Testament truths.

I am looking for Old Testament examples of men and women of faith who single-mindedly focused on God and His promises and who eliminated all worldly distractions in their desire to please God.

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    Sorry, but we don't do open ended verse search/suggestion questions like this. – curiousdannii♦ Jul 11 at 23:05
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    Shame your question was closed. I found inspiration from Hebrews chapter 11 re OT men and women of faith who kept their focus on God's promises of future blessings, even though they didn't know the how or the when of the coming Messiah. Abraham kept focused on God's promises even when asked to sacrifice Isaac (Hebrews 11:9-10). Moses scorned the distractions of the Egyptian court and aligned himself with God's people (Hebrews11:26). Joseph refused to be distracted by Potiphar's wife (Genesis 39:7-23) and focused on God's covenant promises and remained faithful and true to God (Hebrews 11:22). – Lesley Jul 12 at 7:16
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    @curiousdannii At this rate, there won't be any questions about the Bible left on Christianity Stack for Christians to answer. Couldn't you have directed Woodrow to the Tour link so he could find out what our expectations are? Why the unseemly haste to close down an interesting question? Why the apparent obsession with "rules and regulations"? Forgive me, but I'm fed up with seeing honest questions closed down so often. I'm off to look for another web site where asking questions does not become an almost impossible mountain to climb (spiritually speaking). Please don't take this personally. – Lesley Jul 12 at 7:29
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    I should have read the rules. Thank you everyone. Particular thanks to Lesley and Mike Borden. – Woodrow Jul 13 at 2:14
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    @Woodrow I hope this doesn't put you off using the Christianity Stack Exchange in future. You get some really good, well-researched answers. However, I've found that asking questions is more difficult than answering them! Took me a while to understand how this site is different to others, but I persevered. – Lesley Jul 13 at 11:40
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I would start with Deuteronomy 6:4-9 as the ground upon which to build your thesis

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 

What God has said is to be held front and center of all living, doing, thinking, and speaking. Following this there are many exhortations to neither turn from the commands of God to the left or to the right such as Deut. 5:32, Joshua 1:7, and Proverbs 4:25-27.

As the saints of old were commanded to place the Word of God as their focal point and compass so now we current saints are to fixate upon the Word made flesh and lifted up. We are to fix our eyes upon Jesus, cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the experiential knowledge of God, and take it all captive to obey Christ. Moses commanded much the same: Look to God, tear down the high places of man-made worship, obey.

I think Joshua's commission by Moses and the subsequent conquest of the promised land are fertile ground for many examples that are typical of our current experience, both good and bad. Spend some time in prayer in Joshua. Peace.

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  • Nice one, Mike. – Lesley Jul 12 at 7:30
  • Very suitable. Up-voted +1. – Nigel J Jul 12 at 8:24
  • Thank you, Mike. – Woodrow Jul 13 at 2:13

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