A Norvell Note
May 20, 2024, Vol. 28 No. 20
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
When life becomes a puzzle, take a moment to shift your gaze and turn your eyes upon Jesus.
When you watch or listen to the news of the day and get depressed, turn your eyes upon Jesus.
When medical news is not good, turn your eyes upon Jesus.
When you hate or lose your job, turn your eyes upon Jesus.
When your spouse walks out on you, turn your eyes upon Jesus.
When you are nearer the exit than the entrance, turn your eyes upon Jesus.
When your sins pile high and guilt holds you captive, turn your eyes upon Jesus.
When your strength is gone, and your desire to continue is fading, turn your eyes upon Jesus.
When life is good, and you’re on top of the world, turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Turning your eyes upon Jesus won’t change the circumstances you are facing. It won’t fix whatever is wrong, but it can change your attitude and remind you that you are not alone. It might inspire you to keep trying and trusting Him to walk you through the struggle. So, turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls![1]
Eugene H. Peterson, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2005), Heb 12:1–3.
A Norvell Note © Copyright 2024 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved
[1] Eugene H. Peterson, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2005), Heb 12:1–3.