Cindy’s Corner (October 2, 2009)
Do you wake up in the mornings with a song in your heart? I mean a literal song that gently awakens you and sets the course for your day? This morning as I awakened the words of this song were present in my mind:
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
What a wonderful encouragement to start the day in such a beautiful way: Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
I remember my oldest son returning home from a job interview when he was an older teenager and telling me he shook the hand of the man with whom he was interviewing and looked him straight in the eyes because he thought it was a manly thing to do. “And,” he added, “I thought it was what something Pop would do.” What he was expressing was an idea he learned from observing his grandfather—the idea that looking this man straight in the eyes would communicate strength and confidence in his own ability to do the job.
Have you ever spoken with someone who never looks at you, but always is looking down or just past you over your shoulder somewhere? I have. In fact, I’ve been guilty of it myself. Many times a lack of confidence around someone we consider to be of higher position produces fears that make us feel too insignificant to look someone in the eyes. I’m convinced (because of my own experience, I might add) that many times this is our posture with Christ, whether or not the motivation is fear or lack of confidence before Him. We get as close as we dare, we listen as best we can, we talk to Him, but we don’t look full in His wonderful face as the hymn writer said. That’s probably because we’re afraid to, and for good reason. No doubt, looking full in the wonderful face of a glorious God is deadly to anything in us that is fleshly. A fact that God Himself declared to Moses, “No one can see me and live.” (Exodus 33:20) Even a faint glimpse of His glory on this side of the earthly veil will not be unfruitful in putting to death that which is unholy in us. No, when we turn our eyes upon Him and look fully into His face, the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.
As I laid in bed this morning pondering these thoughts another song came to mind; one that reflects the essence of true worship.
When I look into Your holiness
When I gaze upon Your loveliness
When all things that surround become shadows in the light of You
When I’ve found the joy of reaching Your heart
When my will becomes enthroned in Your love
When all things that surround become shadows in the light of You
I worship You
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Worship is the natural response to the revelation of God—who He is as revealed in Christ. For in Him the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily, (Col. 2:9).
And yet, still another song came to mind; one penned by my own hand several years ago and one borne as a result of turning my eyes upon Jesus and looking intently in His Word.
Let me dwell in Your presence, O Lord,
To gaze on Your beauty and strength
Touch my heart as I worship You, Lord
Till everything in this temple You’re making of me says, “Glory”
Let it cry, “Glory!”
Yes, all these thoughts flooded my heart before my feet even hit the floor and no, I didn’t stay in bed all day. Even so I have continued to gaze upon the beauty and strength of our Lord. For me that familiar chorus has been a reality:
All day long I’ve been with Jesus
It has been a glorious day
In the days ahead I want to share with you through these posts some of my observations that resulted from turning my eyes upon Jesus. My prayer is that it will encourage you in your walk with Christ to keep Him as the focus of all you are and all you do.
