Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.”
This hymn, written by Helen Lemmel in 1922, was inspired by a tract written by Lilias Trotter. Trotter observed the difficulty of maintaining focus while living in a world that provides so many choices. Hebrews 12:1-2, “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.”
God is so full of light John 1:5 says, “He IS Light.” He is not illuminated from another source like the moon. He IS the light source (I John 1:5-7). As the most powerful light source, what happens when I turn my eyes to Him? When this part of the world experienced the eclipse of the sun in 2017, we were warned NOT to look at the sun. How can we look at the Son who brings life and guides us to His home in Heaven? God is, “My shield,” (Psalm 28:7).
When I am blinded by His light as Saul in Acts 22:6, what effect does that have on me? I can keep my sights on God and the finish line. His light will blind me to harmful things in the dark. Darkness is associated with evil and Satan (John 3: 19-20). I cannot be tempted by things I cannot see. By turning my eyes to God, the light eliminates the evils of the darkness and illuminates His goodness, love, and mercy. When we try to leave the path lit by God’s word (John 1:1) we may have the dimness of the light remaining but as we move further away, the darker it becomes, and the light is no longer ahead, yet behind. Imagine walking in a dense forest equipped only with a flashlight. It reveals exposed tree roots, critters of the night and other obstacles while guiding you home. Curiosity takes over and you decide to leave the flashlight on the trail to explore the dark forest. At first you can recognize hazards because you are still close to the light source. You have a choice to make; return to the light or continue to explore the sights and sounds in the dark forest. The deeper you go into the forest the harder it is to see. Fear, anxiety, uncertainty cover you like the forest fog. You trip, then you fall, you know you are lost until ... Your eyes turn toward the light source in the distance. It never moved, never stopped shinning. It was always there to guide you home. The Light can never be overcome by darkness (John1:5).
Turn your eyes to Jesus – God is Light!
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