We need to look at our whole life through the lens of faith in God. Fix your eyes upon God, not on your situations. God doesn’t encourage us to trust in ourselves or find resources within ourselves, but to trust in Him alone as our shield and reward. Rest your faith firmly on God alone because of Who His is. Do not be afraid of your problems. Our trust in God does not end once He gives us a great victory. We must apply faith to every situation whether great or small. Continue to trust in the Lord through the whole process, even if we are tempted to doubt. It was not the works of Abraham that made him righteous, but his faith in God. We must persevere by faith and trust in God in His promises, even when we are challenged. We must work out our own salvation. We can be led astray if we place our own expectations on how God will fulfill His promises. We are commanded to believe in His promises, but not in our own timing. This leads to doubt and to take our lives into our own hands. We don’t need to help God fulfill His promises. Continue to look to God as your shield and exceedingly great reward and don’t take your life back into your own hands. We have a danger of catastrophizing, from having a negative outlook when our specific expectations aren’t being met. When we take our eyes off of God as our shield and reward, we can catastrophize from a lack of faith. What do you have in view when trials come? Do you lose faith and discourage others? Or do you trust in God in every situation? Don’t trust in your own time frames and expectations. Walk by faith in confidence of God. God will keep you from errors when you look to Him as your shield and exceeding great reward.