LET’S TURN OUR EYES UPON

JESUS

Today in my town, it is dark, dreary and cold, with rain.  And as I ponder upon this dreary day, I want to just turn my eyes toward Jesus and let Him take all my burdens and cares.  He knows the small pain I have and He knows those days when my pain is intense.  He knows all my cares and concerns, and He only wants me to look up to Him.

And my friends out there, how is it with you today?  We are living in very troubled times, when the world economy is about to collapse, there are wars, rumors of wars, strange weather patterns and great unexplained tragedies.  There are friends and family suffering with cancer and great struggles in their lives, and sometimes the struggles go on and on without an answer in site.  Where do we turn in those dark times?  Just turn your eyes upon your Savior.

We just celebrated the Easter Season and our minds turned to the cross and the suffering of Jesus, His torment, His agony there.  We continue to look to the cross, where our Savior died, as He took all our sins and sorrows, and shed His precious blood for you, for me.

My mind cannot comprehend the suffering, even though I have read about it, seen it portrayed in movies and videos, still my mind cannot fathom that my God would love me so, and go through all that pain and agony, so I and all those who will give their hearts to Him could have their sins forgiven and spend eternity with Him. 

When He arose from the dead on that third day, death was conquered!  Yes, unless Jesus comes in the clouds, we will all die physically, that is certain, but so we can go to live with Him where there will be no more death, sorrow or crying or pain.  That is our blessed hope in this hour of great turmoil on this earth and in our lives individually.

 love the great hymns of the faith, and I love the stories behind the writing of those hymns.  Here is one of the favorites of the church, and I remember singing this song as a child.  Here is the story of that hymn.

TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS

“Helen Lemmel was already a noted Christian singer and voice teacher when a missionary friend of hers handed her a gospel tract titled “Focus.”  Helen wondered why someone was handing her a tract.

The tract said that if you focus on Jesus, if you look full into His face, “you will find that the things of earth will acquire a strange new dimness.”

Those words had an impact on Helen Lemmel.  “Suddenly,” she said later, “as if commanded to stop and listen, I stood still, and singing in my soul and spirit was the chorus, with not one conscious moment of putting word to word to make rhyme, or note to note to make melody.”  Later the same year the song was published, and soon it became a favorite of Christians in America, in England, an around the rest of the world.

It’s so easy to lose focus.  Focus on Jesus, and the tawdry things of this world will lose their glamour “in the “light of His glory and grace.”

"O soul, are you weary and troubled?  No light in the darkness you see?  There’s light for a look at the Savior, and life more abundant and free!

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.

Through death into life everlasting He passed, and we follow Him there; over us sin no more hath dominion, for more than conquerors we are!

His word shall not fail you – He promised; believe Him, and all will be well:  than go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell.   (Helen Howarth Lemmel (1864-1961)

Yes, my friends are you weary and troubled this day?  Is your life full of darkness and clouds obscuring your vision, tears are dimming your eyes?  Just look up to Him, He is a light in the darkness, and He will give you an abundant life with His peace.  We don’t need to worry about our tomorrows, because Jesus will be there.   He asks only that you seek Him first and let tomorrow take care of itself. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” Matthew 6:33-34.

As I ponder about the cross and His death, I realize that He has passed that way before us into eternal life, and if we give our lives to Him, death will have no more dominion over us, because we will have gained the victory, Praise the Lord!

And He promises  in His Word to never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and then calls each one of us to share the love He has given us to others in this dying world, there are so many out there who are lost without Jesus, and need to hear about the Savior who loves them and died for them. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:2.

So, when the storm clouds roll in, storms of sorrow, pain, and unending struggles, we look to Jesus, and look into His wonderful face, and there is peace and joy there, and He calms the storms in our lives, just by a Word.  This Jesus, our Lord, endured the cross, because He knew that on the other side of the cross there would be joy and peace and eternal life for His people, those who love Him, and He finished the work on the cross, sat down beside the Father and is interceding for you, my friend.

So, on this day, look up into His Wonderful face, and let Him bring peace into your life, just ask Him today, if you don’t know Him as your Savior.  Please don’t wait, because one never knows what tomorrow will bring, and you would not want to miss eternity with Jesus, and life eternal. 

Blessings,

Pastor Sharon