“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Cor 4:18 NLT
There used to be a quiz programme on TV a few years ago called “Catchphrase”. It was quick-fire guessing game where contestants simply had to look at the image on the screen and ‘say what you see!’
So often in life when we face difficulties we do exactly that - hopefully not with our mouths, but most certainly in our minds. Like those in the Catchphrase game we ‘fix’ our attention or dwell on what’s before us (our current difficulties/pain) to get the catchphrase (the answer to those difficulties). We seem to give our energy, time and full attention to the problem hoping the answer will come to us.
Yet, scripture encourages us to look and to fix our eyes and our thoughts on eternal things and on Jesus.
Hebrews 3:1 says, “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.” NIV
Hebrews 12:2 “…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” NIV
As I’m writing this, one question rings loud and clear in my mind…
How on earth do I keep my eyes and my thoughts fixed on eternal things? on Jesus? in the midst of pain and suffering?
We might be able to for a time. Perhaps an hour or so but it is difficult not to go back to the temporal, to the suffering, to the circumstance right before us.
Have you ever had a staring competition with someone? One person may seem like they can stare for hours on end whilst the other gives up after a few seconds. Our eyes might start to water and we can’t wait to blink, to give them some relief.
I guess that can be true of life. When we stare at our problems for too long we will need to find relief from somewhere before very long. It is in these times when our difficulties are all consuming, that we must look to Jesus, and think on our eternal home. If we turn our thoughts to the Bible, It can give us relief from the current pain, direction and hope. We will, no doubt go back to staring at our difficult situation and the cycle begins again, but this is because we are not yet in the eternal state God has promised to His children.
We must try to keep on enduring, we need to keep on keeping on. The Bible doesn’t exhort us to do things that are impossible, but keep running the race no matter how slow. Keep coming back to Jesus each time.
Here are some scriptures to encourage us all today …
Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” ESV
2 Chron 20:12 “Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” NIV
Psalm 25v15 “My eyes are ever toward the LORD, For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.” NKJV
Psalm 141v8 “For my eyes are toward You, GOD, the Lord; In You I take refuge; do not leave me defenseless.” NASB
Although we may know these verses well and know they are true. We need God to impress them on our hearts so that they become the very fabric of our being.
When I am struggling to cope with the enormity of pain and grief in our situation and try to come to terms with the injuries our son has sustained and how those have affected him and our family - I need God. I need God to help me deal with the struggle of emotions and pressure.
When we’re exhausted and struggling to manoeuvre our son from place to place because of his mobility limitations but persist because we want him to improve, we need God. We need God to give us the strength we need and help us deal with the frustration.
When we get up in the morning and begin another day, we need God. We ALL do.
When we fear for the future and concern ourselves with the things that are out of our control, we need God.
Perhaps you can relate to this blog in some way. Let’s turn to God now - He’s all that will get us through. The reality is people can let us down. Churches can let us down. Family can let us down. But God will NEVER let us down.
Let’s be like the psalmist who says “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.” Psalm 42:1 NLT
Let us long for God remembering that everything here is temporal.
Even Jesus knew that what He was about to endure on the cross was temporal and yet He set His face to do it. Luke 9:51 “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” ESV
We are told here that Jesus set His face like stone to go to Jerusalem where He would endure the cross. Some say Luke is referring to Isaiah 50:7 “But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.” ESV
Jesus set His face to endure the suffering on the cross, but knowing it wasn’t the end. Thankfully, we don’t have to endure what Jesus had to endure, but we do have painful circumstances and difficulties in our lives. So in these, let’s think eternally, let’s focus on Jesus who has gone before us as well as all the other saints who endured looking for something far greater.
Hebrews 11:16 “But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” NLT
Prayer - Father, would You please help us to more and more look to You. Help us not to stare at our circumstances so long that we forget You. May we thirst for You, the Living God. May we each and every day know that You are the One who holds us in the midst of every situation. Amen
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