A couple of years ago, our family was going through a barrage of storms – all in a short window of time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During this time, I read the account of Peter walking on water in Matthew 14<\/a>, and I realized how critical it would be for me to keep my eyes on Jesus<\/strong> through it all. In fact, it was clear that it would be the ONLY way I could see our family getting through that difficult time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, I decided to write “Eyes on Me ~ Jesus<\/em>” in large letters and put it on our fridge. It\u2019s been there ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This morning I had an eye doctor appointment. We\u2019re all familiar with the process: \u201cRead me the letters on the chart,\u201d the doctor said. To which I replied, \u201cAre there supposed to be two rows?\u201d Ha! <\/p>\n\n\n\n My eyes have gotten so bad lately that I have been unable to read my Bible<\/strong>. Yes, I have my Bible app with the font set to a size I can read. But I really miss flipping through the pages and reading the notes of insights I\u2019d observed during my previous readings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, there I was focusing intently on seeing the letters clearly, so that I could get the perfect prescription that would allow me to read without difficulty or frustration. Then, on my drive home, my favorite radio station<\/a> played a song by for KING + COUNTRY called “Fix My Eyes On You<\/a>“. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The song made me start thinking about what it means for us to \u201cfix our eyes on Jesus\u201d and the reasons why sometimes we cannot truly see Him clearly<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What clouds our view of Jesus? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes, like Peter, we look to our right or to our left, instead of looking directly to Him<\/strong>. When we keep our eyes on Him, we are able to operate in the supernatural. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about it. Sinking was \u201cnatural\u201d for Peter, right? When life is hard, sinking is natural for us, too. But as we focus our eyes on Him and His promises, Jesus allows us to do the unimaginable<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the tricky part \u2014 let\u2019s be clear on His promises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I have sometimes heard people \u201cblame\u201d God for not keeping a promise that He never made<\/strong>. That will absolutely cloud our view of Him. Yet, the opposite is also true when we consider the beautiful promises He actually has made. When we think on these promises, we will SEE His faithfulness, His goodness, His presence and His love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what are some of the promises from scripture<\/strong> that are holding you up now or have held you up during a difficult season? Don\u2019t worry if you are too weary to even lift your head to fix your eyes on Him today. Psalm 3:3<\/a> tells us He is the lifter of our heads. How wonderful is our God! He gently lifts our heads when we don\u2019t have the strength! <\/p>\n\n\n\n We all need to be uplifted by the truth of who God is and the power found in His promises<\/strong>. Next time I feel like I\u2019m sinking, I will pay close attention to where I am looking and adjust my focus. Will you join me<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s share some promises from scripture to encourage each other today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll start with these:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Deuteronomy 31:6<\/a> – “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.<\/em>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n Matthew 11:28-29<\/a> – “Then Jesus said, \u201cCome to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. <\/sup>Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.<\/em>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n