Fix Your Eyes on Christ
Key Verse to Read and Treasure
Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God—Hebrews 12:2-3
For Insight
How do we make it through suffering and trials successfully? Naturally by putting one foot in front of the other. Determination and will. Surrounding ourselves with loving, supportive family and friends. Taking time to relax, eating a balanced diet, exercising, keeping a right perspective, talking it out with others, including professional counselors when needed. All of this is helpful and important. But there is another critical element and mindset that can’t be left out or overlooked, and that is looking to Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith.
In suffering, we can’t just glance at Jesus we need to fix our eyes on him and not take them off him no matter what. In one of David’s psalms he writes, there was only one thing he wanted to do and that was “gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).
During suffering and trials, it’s tempting to look everywhere. Look to ourselves and our resources, look to others and the possibility of their help and being rescued, look to institutions, look to anything that appears to be or hold the answer we need to get out of our suffering. But David said only one activity is needed: to gaze upon Jesus in his temple.
Life Lesson
When we gaze at the Lord, we put our faith in his character and promises. We stay in prayer. We refuse to depart from his Word even when things look bleak. When we gaze at God, fix our eyes on him he returns our gaze by gazing at us and that is a hallelujah testimony and witness in the works!
Prayer
Lord, I will put my gaze on you when I surer. I will not give into the temptation to look anywhere else but on Christ alone. In him are my answers, my strength, and my peace. Amen
Digging Deeper
Devotionally Yours 