One of my favorite hymns written by Helen H. Lemmel is Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
“Turn your
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.”
In one of the
most desperate moments of my life, when I was distraught with everything I had
to deal with, the Holy Spirit particularly ministered to me through these
words. Since then, this hymn has been a favorite, and I like to sing this in my
personal meditation time. What these words remind us is an exciting truth that
an “unshakeable peace” is available to all who turn the eyes of their heart
away from the world and towards Jesus.
When life’s
trials strike us as horrible blows, how does a Christian maintain a sense of
calmness and spiritual balance? The portion of Scripture where the disciples
lose all hope in the middle of the storm at sea while finding their Master,
Jesus, calmly sleeping used to amaze me. Often at times, we, too, are just like
that; we throw our hands up in the air and ask our Savior, “Do you really not
care for me?” We need to remember that the One who controls the
winds and the waves is with us. He carries us and can calm
every raging storm in our life. The key is found in a close, abiding
relationship with Jesus Christ.
No one outside of God is capable of handling our life’s problems. All human beings
have limitations, and God never meant for us to be strong on our own. He wants
us to look to Him for strength, courage, and hope. In the current times, many
around us deal with severe anxiety. We need to recognize anxiety as the
opposite of peace. Being chronically anxious can leave us bundled up in worry
and fear. We tend to lose our spiritual focus and slowly de-align ourselves
from the will of God for our lives.
In
Philippians 4:6-7, Paul admonishes us to “Be anxious for nothing, but in
everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. For us to be able to
give EVERYTHING to God, we need to abide in our Savior; otherwise, the enemy
will easily sow seeds of doubt and fear in us. To dispel rising anxiety, we
need to accept God’s sovereignty and trust Him to provide what is best for us
in His time. A child of God who abides by God and His Word is not easily
frazzled by the unexpected events of life. He rests in His Master, “being
confident that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Psalm 57 was
written by David at one of the most difficult points in his life when he had
fled from Saul into the cave. It reads, “ Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy
on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills
His purpose for me…. God sends His love and faithfulness.” (Ps 57: 1-3) The
only reason David could write with such confidence about His God is because He had
an unshakeable peace within His heart that God would protect His life and
fulfill His promises.
My friend,
does something trouble you today? Has any situation, conflict, or sickness
escalated beyond your control? Do you feel anxious about tomorrow? Jesus’ words
in John 20:19 are a comfort to us – “Peace be with you.” Remember always
that God’s peace is unshakeable because there never has or will never be a time
or event when God has felt unsettled or panicked.
Let His peace overflow in your hearts today. He understands that life can be difficult –but He has a solution for us in Him. He is the giver of supernatural peace. Let us tap into this unexhausted resource. Remember to keep your focus on God. Only then can we accomplish great and mighty for our Master.
