The Gaze of One's Soul

In his book entitled Life's Ultimate Privilege, DeVern Fromke tells of the time when he was laid up in hospital after a terrible accident. His eyes were covered with bandages and like so many that have been in similar situations, he wondered whether he would ever have the ability to see again. It was during this time that the famous songwriter, Helen Lemmel, sent a friend to visit DeVern with an autographed copy of one of the most famous Christian songs ever written. You see, Helen had been blind throughout most of her life, and yet she had learned a special way of "seeing" the Lord through the eyes of the heart. These "inner eyes" had helped her see the beauty of the Lord which enabled her to write the song, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. Here are the words born out her revelation of the Lord:

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.

The primary ministry of the Holy Spirit is to help us become focused on the Lord Jesus. The writer to the Hebrews knew this when he said, "fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess" (3:1, NIV). As Fromke has written, "The fixation of our soul upon problems will only bring frustration, while the gaze of our heart upon the Lord will allow us to more clearly perceive spiritual realities." Jesus is to be the Center and the Source of our living, and when we are focused on Him, He is able to freely work through our problems and difficulties in life-changing ways. For truly, "If our gaze is continually upon the Lord Jesus, we need only glance at all else."