Keep your mind clear, and be alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion as he looks for someone to devour

1 Peter 5:8 (GW)

Watching Tour De France this morning my wife looked at me and said, "Riding in a pack like that cannot be safe!" I will have to admit things can happen and quickly in a pack like that. You have to stay focused not only on the wheel in front of you but also those up ahead and to the right and left. It is intense; it is part of what I like about racing.

Also some wheels are easier to follow than others. I have a group of friends I ride with regularly who I have come to know and trust. I know that they aren't going to make any quick moves, hit the brakes or swerve when we are riding tight. I can trust them.

It is kind of the same in our spiritual lives. We need to stay focused on what is going on around us lest we get sucked in to a "crash". That focus involves daily prayer and Bible time. I know on my long rides I will pass the time praying (and not for a tailwind or the ride to end ).

We also need to be in the company of Believers' we trust and can confide in. People we know who won't lead us astray and we can count on to be there when it gets tough, people who won't swerve or brake but will reflect God's love for us. I have had some of the deepest conversations with my friends, spinning down a road or trail in the rain and cold talking about what is happening in our lives.

So the whole point is this: stay focused. Stay focused Who has saved us. Riding Jesus wheel is the perfect place to be!