Fix Our Eyes Upon Jesus
Oh, how easy it is to be distracted from the glory of God, His righteousness, Holiness, Strength, Almighty Sovereignty, Faithfulness and Purpose. We are told in Scripture repeatedly that God is our strength and refuge, an ever-present help in trouble. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He knows our tomorrows, our hearts, our thoughts and our ways. He is our Shepherd, who makes us lie down in green pastures, leads us beside the still waters and restores our souls. He guides us in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Oh, what an awesome God we serve!
Why then are we so easily distracted from these truths by life’s circumstances and trials? Perhaps it’s our focus. Our hearts and thoughts become swept away into the whirlpool of our adversities, instead of keeping our eyes fixed upon Jesus. It is amazing how often my response to trials and tribulations is just like that of the disciples in the boat with Jesus on the sea of Galilee. Scripture notes in the Book of Matthew that ‘without warning a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.’ I don’t know about you but many of my most difficult circumstances have come ‘without warning’ and felt like ‘a furious storm’. I have been hit by the ‘waves’ sweeping over me and thought for sure that I was going to drown. And just like the disciples, I have cried out in panic to Jesus in my fear. I have not checked my vision or focus. Instead, I react based upon what my eyes see and my senses feel; rather than filtering my circumstances through the truth of God’s Holy Word. Just think for a moment about the disciples; what they saw was a furious storm, waves sweeping over the boat and Jesus was asleep. That’s earthly vision for you - it’s realistic, sees what is happening, assesses it’s potential consequences and then - reacts. The disciples failed in that moment of time to see with Godly vision. Jesus may have appeared to be asleep, but our God neither slumbers nor sleeps. He is Sovereign. Therefore, although things may hit us without warning, we can rest assured that nothing catches God by surprise. And as for those waves that will surely capsize our boat, leaving us to drown - Scripture tells us: “ But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands;…Psalm 31:14,15.
Heavenly Father,
Please help us this day to keep our eyes upon You, to remember Your truths, to proclaim Your faithfulness, and to fear no evil, for though art with us. We love You, O Lord. We praise Your Holy Name and thank You for reminding us of Your Glory. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfected of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2
NIV
What is my point in all this you might ask? We had very little control over much of our circumstances. We couldn’t fix the car, make a repair station appear, charge the cell-phone, change the time I had received pain medication, or make it last longer, fill a prescription on the highway or contact the person who was coming to our home while we were still stuck on the highway hours away. We didn’t have control over any of those things, but we did have a choice in how we dealt with them. We could get upset, frustrated and angry, all of which would accomplish nothing more than make a difficult situation even more trying. Or we could make the best of it. We could remember that the Lord was with us. He knew exactly where we were even if we didn’t, and He knew our needs. There was no detail of our circumstances that escaped His knowledge and we were in His Hands. Somehow, focusing on all those truths helped us as we struggled through our circumstances. It didn’t make them disappear. We made that trip not knowing if or at what point the car might completely break down, or exactly what the outcome would be. But truly trusting in the Lord removed the heavy anxiety of it all.
Just as we can find ourselves in the breakdown lane in our vehicles, so too, we can we land there in our Spiritual lives. And just like with our cars, sometimes we see the smoke while the car is still running, we see the gas gage flashing but can’t seem to find a nearby gas station, or sometimes the problem happens suddenly with a flat tire or broken tie rod. Perhaps in your life right now, you or someone you know is sitting in the ‘breakdown lane’ of life and just can’t seem to get running again. It’s a hard place to be. As you look at your circumstances, you can feel helpless, lost, scared and alone. But the key is to realize the difference between what we ‘feel’ and what is ‘truth’. of the matter is, as long as you belong to Jesus Christ, you may feel all of those things but in Christ we are never lost or alone and our circumstances are never larger than our God. It may not be well with my circumstances, but it is well with my soul. We choose our thoughts, actions, and attitude. In this case, we chose to honor Jesus and trust in His ways. What will you choose today?
Fix Our Eyes Upon Jesus
Oh, how easy it is to be distracted from the glory of God, His righteousness, Holiness, Strength, Almighty Sovereignty, Faithfulness and Purpose. We are told in Scripture repeatedly that God is our strength and refuge, an ever-present help in trouble. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He knows our tomorrows, our hearts, our thoughts and our ways. He is our Shepherd, who makes us lie down in green pastures, leads us beside the still waters and restores our souls. He guides us in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Oh, what an awesome God we serve!
Why then are we so easily distracted from these truths by life’s circumstances and trials? Perhaps it’s our focus. Our hearts and thoughts become swept away into the whirlpool of our adversities, instead of keeping our eyes fixed upon Jesus. It is amazing how often my response to trials and tribulations is just like that of the disciples in the boat with Jesus on the sea of Galilee. Scripture notes in the Book of Matthew that ‘without warning a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.’ I don’t know about you but many of my most difficult circumstances have come ‘without warning’ and felt like ‘a furious storm’. I have been hit by the ‘waves’ sweeping over me and thought for sure that I was going to drown. And just like the disciples, I have cried out in panic to Jesus in my fear. I have not checked my vision or focus. Instead, I react based upon what my eyes see and my senses feel; rather than filtering my circumstances through the truth of God’s Holy Word. Just think for a moment about the disciples; what they saw was a furious storm, waves sweeping over the boat and Jesus was asleep. That’s earthly vision for you - it’s realistic, sees what is happening, assesses it’s potential consequences and then - reacts. The disciples failed in that moment of time to see with Godly vision. Jesus may have appeared to be asleep, but our God neither slumbers nor sleeps. He is Sovereign. Therefore, although things may hit us without warning, we can rest assured that nothing catches God by surprise. And as for those waves that will surely capsize our boat, leaving us to drown - Scripture tells us: “ But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands;…Psalm 31:14,15.
Heavenly Father,
Please help us this day to keep our eyes upon You, to remember Your truths, to proclaim Your faithfulness, and to fear no evil, for though art with us. We love You, O Lord. We praise Your Holy Name and thank You for reminding us of Your Glory. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfected of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2
NIV
What is my point in all this you might ask? We had very little control over much of our circumstances. We couldn’t fix the car, make a repair station appear, charge the cell-phone, change the time I had received pain medication, or make it last longer, fill a prescription on the highway or contact the person who was coming to our home while we were still stuck on the highway hours away. We didn’t have control over any of those things, but we did have a choice in how we dealt with them. We could get upset, frustrated and angry, all of which would accomplish nothing more than make a difficult situation even more trying. Or we could make the best of it. We could remember that the Lord was with us. He knew exactly where we were even if we didn’t, and He knew our needs. There was no detail of our circumstances that escaped His knowledge and we were in His Hands. Somehow, focusing on all those truths helped us as we struggled through our circumstances. It didn’t make them disappear. We made that trip not knowing if or at what point the car might completely break down, or exactly what the outcome would be. But truly trusting in the Lord removed the heavy anxiety of it all.
Just as we can find ourselves in the breakdown lane in our vehicles, so too, we can we land there in our Spiritual lives. And just like with our cars, sometimes we see the smoke while the car is still running, we see the gas gage flashing but can’t seem to find a nearby gas station, or sometimes the problem happens suddenly with a flat tire or broken tie rod. Perhaps in your life right now, you or someone you know is sitting in the ‘breakdown lane’ of life and just can’t seem to get running again. It’s a hard place to be. As you look at your circumstances, you can feel helpless, lost, scared and alone. But the key is to realize the difference between what we ‘feel’ and what is ‘truth’. of the matter is, as long as you belong to Jesus Christ, you may feel all of those things but in Christ we are never lost or alone and our circumstances are never larger than our God. It may not be well with my circumstances, but it is well with my soul. We choose our thoughts, actions, and attitude. In this case, we chose to honor Jesus and trust in His ways. What will you choose today?
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the one who sees me.”
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.
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