Rack Focus Faith

Rack focus is a common camera technique used in both film and television to shift focus from a foreground subject to a background subject by turning the focal ring on a lens.  This technique is used in almost every television show or movie where the focus shifts from one object or person in the foreground of the frame to something or someone in the background.  This technique creates quite a dramatic effect for the viewer!

Tonight, as I was reading a very familiar verse in the bible, I was reminded how rack focus, when applied to my faith, can have a very dramatic effect on my heart and mind . . .

Proverbs  3:5-6 says:  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence.  Know Him in all your paths, and He will keep your ways straight.

What does it mean to "know Him in all your paths"?  Our daily lives are filled with competing commitments and some very trying circumstances that can cause us to focus our attention on the “stuff” right in front of us.  It’s during those moments, when we are focused on our present circumstances, that we begin to rely on our own intelligence as a means to deal with what is right in front of us.  

However, rack focus faith challenges us to shift our focus from what is immediately in front of us and see, perceive, and discern Him. When we focus on Him instead of our immediate circumstances, the effect on our hearts and minds is far more dramatic than the mere visual technique that rack focus creates in a movie. 

When we fix our gaze on Him - in the midst of our pain, confusion, despair or any of life’s challenging situations - we will find peace in the midst of the storm, clarity instead of confusion, and hope that will anchor our soul through even the most difficult times.  This is what it means to "know Him in all your paths" or to "acknowledge Him in all your ways."  Rack focus faith allows us to see, perceive, and discern His Presence in the midst of our all that is going on in our lives.

So, the next time you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by your circumstances, just apply the simple photographic technique of rack focus to your faith and watch your present circumstances fade into the background and Jesus and His love for you come into the foreground and into focus!