Looking Unto Jesus

"Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith." Hebrews 12:2...."Darkness veils Jesus' lovely face, but if we rest on His unchanging grace, looking His way in the fog, that is it." Vance Havner....."He does not say 'see,' He says only 'Look.' " Alexander Whyte

I love Acts 27, which details the terrible storm that Paul and his fellow workers, along with over 250 others were caught in. The crew of the ship expected to die, as did the officer and soldiers detailed to guard Paul and the other prisoners. They, and likely everyone else on board only saw the life threatening storm. Paul saw his life saving and sustaining God. In the midst of that storm, the Father sent His angel to tell Paul that he, and all his fellow passengers were going to live, though the ship itself would sink. He related this to the terrified rest of those on board, saying, "So take courage, for I believe God. It will be just as He said." When everyone else was looking only at the threat, Paul looked off of it and unto Him. This is the key in all threats, indeed, in all of life. We need to look off of those things that threaten us, lure us, distract us, capture us, and look unto Him.

In the days in which we're living, those words of Paul's need to become ours. In the midst of all that can be against us, we must, as he exhorted;Take courage in Him. Believe what He says. Trust that what He says is what will be. Storms get all the attention. The thick clouds that accompany them obscure our natural sight. As one person put it, we may not be able to see just where He is, but we can look towards where we know Him to be. Beside us. Around us. Within us. And the beauty of this is that when we look towards Him, He most often will reveal Himself to our spiritual sight.

Facing you and me each day are questions about the unknown. Fears about what is known. Dangers. Problems. Needs. All of them can fill our line of vision. Their power over us can seem to be absolute. We can let that be so, or, by His grace, the One who is the Author and Finisher of our faith, we can choose to "look off" of these things and look unto Him. It has been said that in the midst of our "realities," we need to look at the greatest reality; Jesus Christ. No matter how real the danger, He is more real, more able, in the midst of it. Jesus said that we would have tribulation. That's a reality. He also said to take courage, that He has overcome the world and all the tribulation it might contain. He has. He does. He is doing so now. That's the greatest reality. Is it ours? Is it yours?

I'm entering into a time of life when all my natural abilities are failing. The needs, the unknown, the challenges that are before me in that are real. But they are not as real to me as He is. I choose to look off of them and unto Him. He will be my "line of vision." In whatever lies before you, will He be yours?

Blessings,
Pastor O