Sometimes we see clearly.

Sometimes we see through tears.

Sometimes the effects of the Fall on our bodies are deafening.

Sometimes the choices of others weary us.

Sometimes we are blinded by fear or disappointment.

Sometimes we are blinded to truth and goodness by our sin.

Sometimes we are deceived into thinking we have to hide, we must walk a road alone, we could never invite even our safest person into our hard place.

It’s all about the gaze.

Will we give into the spiral of fear that threatens to undo us, even when the circumstances are rightly fearful?

That is sure to increase the dread.

Will we turn inward and see only with our physical eyes?

That is sure to deceive.

Will we turn inward and see only our hurt and so shift blame off of us and on to anyone else for anything we have done or anything we do not have, onto whomever we care to thrust it?

That is sure to discourage and embitter.

Will we focus on our discontentment in any area of life which always bleeds over into other areas, leading to rationalizing all manner of choices that leave us wounded and wounding others.

That will lead to a hunger that is never satisfied.

Or will we:

“Turn our 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.”

“Jesus, to You we lift our eyes. Jesus, our glory and our prize. We adore You, behold You, our glory and our prize. O Jesus, we turn our eyes to You.” *

With eyes fixed on our Savior, in gratitude and in awe, we can shift our gaze from the things that weigh us, that ensnare us, that we believe are hopeless to the Truth, to where a change of affections, attitude, and gaze is possible in Christ and for Christ.

With eyes fixed on Jesus, we press in.

With eyes fixed on Jesus, if even through tears and trembling, we lean in.

We reset.

We shift our gaze and our gazes intentionally.

We see with new eyes.

We think with a renewed mind.

We learn to delight in His good gifts yet hold them loosely.

We turn off the noise.

We give thanks.

We rest.

*Turn Your Eyes – Sovereign Grace Music

Photo credits: Frank Laws