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Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

“O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see?  There’s light for a look at the Savior, and life more abundant and free. 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”.  A timeless classic written by Helen Howarth Lemmel in 1922, it still fills the airwaves by artists such as Alan Jackson, Lauren Daigle and Hillsong.  I was a young girl when I learned the words, and even to this day, I find myself humming the tune while piddling around the house.  These words remind us to keeping Jesus in the center of our lives and the chaos of the world will not overburden us.   

The account of Peter walking on the water is a great example of what we can accomplish when we stay focused on Jesus.  As he stared into the eyes of Jesus, Peter was bold enough to step out in faith and onto the water, even as the storm raged around him. Peter found himself walking in the supernatural, just like Jesus was. However, when his physical senses began to take back over and he started to doubt, he saw the waves rising higher and higher and he began to sink. Peter had turned his eyes away from Jesus.

Our thoughts are powerful.  Where our thoughts go, our actions follow.  When we focus on money, we become greedy.  When we spend our time in fear or worry, our lives are filled with suffering and pain and when we think only bad of the people who have harmed us, we become bitter and angry. We all have situations in our lives that tend to drag us down and burden our very soul.  And it is these burdens we tend to self-medicate through alcohol, drugs, slander, gambling, and excessive eating, just to name a few.  Beware of the poison Satan’s uses to steal our soul.

As women, we tend to put everyone else’s needs and desires before our own. Even seemingly innocent distractions can steal precious moments with our Lord. Setting aside sacred time to focus on what is pleasing to God will reap a bountiful harvest of good not only for ourselves, but for all those we love and encounter.  God is always present, and when we seek to know him, we can be assured of His presence; in prayer, through scriptures, making a conscientious effort to find good in others or even through a simple song, written so long ago.   

Mrs. Korsmeyer welcomes your ideas and suggestions for a strong women’s ministry.  She can be reached at lkorsmeyer@diojeffcity.org or (573) 635-9127, ext. 222.