December 2, 2006
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When Darkness Seems to Hide His Face..
His face does seem to be hidden at times over these past few months or so! Many trials have and continue to assault our family! I’ve floundered this past week… I’ll freely admit my weakness …. and taken my eyes off of Christ at times! What a hopeless place to be! What darkness! A place that I don’t want to live in!
It’s amazing how quickly things can change when I change my thoughts and obey His Word! (Eph. 4:22-24) How quickly I can go from feeling overwhelmed, anxious, depressed TO hope and joyfulness!
Obedience to God’s Word is all it takes… a decision to FIX my eyes on Jesus! And to realize that because of His suffering I’m assured that my present day trials and suffering (so small comparatively) won’t last for an eternity! Now, that’s something to get happy about!!!
Heb 12:1-2 – Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, FIXING our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The greek word for FIX is aphorao and means LOOKING AWAY FROM ONE THING ….SO AS TO SEE ANOTHER! Old time writers used to call it THE GAZE OF THE SOUL. The past week my focus has been fixed on my trials which seemed to only increase daily. The more I focused on them the less joy I found and the more overwhelmed I became with all the problems. But, the SECOND, I turned my eyes back on Jesus and pleasing Him the joy and peace returned. It’s here I want to stay.. it’s here I want to live. When we do right our emotions will eventually follow. Gen. 4:6-7
Isa 26:3 - You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
I’ve been thinking of the words to this song this morning. We listen to an updated version of it in my church http://www.xanga.com/jehovahraah83 by 4Him. I love to hear the old hymns sung by new contemporary artists.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
Refrain
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
Refrain
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
Refrain
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Refrain
“Lord, I ask for your grace for the coming days to live WHOLLY for your glory… to FIX my gaze… my mind… my thoughts…. on how you suffered and why! Thank you, Lord, for enduring the shame of bearing the curse I deserved! Thank you for becoming a curse for me! Thank you for paying the debt that I owed! Thank you that because of your suffering I will spend eternity with God my father. Here is where I want my gaze to be fixed!!
Comments (16)
amen! i know how it feels to have the fmaily assaulted by Satan, and even for a short time take one’s eyes of off Christ—it is by far the WORST feeling in the world–i am glad you are joyful again, though!!!!!!!!!!!!!! isnt joy an amazing gift of God??????????well, have a great week!!!praying for you and your family
I know, too, how easy and quickly we can take our eyes off of Jesus and focus on our problems. I can do that without even having major problems, much less when we have real ones. It’s a daily struggle, I know and when things are going badly, or there’s more pain than sorrow in your life, it can be humanly impossible. But with God, all things are possible and I thank Him for giving us peace in times of storm. I’m holding you and your loved ones up in prayer.
Thanks for sharing this…you always share your heart, and I appreciate that. Prayers to you!
Beth
Thanks for this honest and encouraging post. I especially liked where you said we need to look away from one thing to look at another. How true in our Christian lives. We get in trouble when we are focused on the wrong things. Sometime things that might be good, but aren’t God’s best for us. Blessings
Hmmm.. the “gaze of the soul”. Thanks for posting… thinking of you. ~Irene
I needed to hear this more than you will ever know! {{{HUGS}}} and prayers and thanks!!! Linda
This is a beautiful post. It is exactly as I’ve been feelinglately-with all the things that have happened around here, things that have been happening in my physical life and family life. It is so easy for us to get our eyes off the One who controls it all. I’m so thankful that God is standing there with open arms waiting for us to come back to Him.
blessings
It’s good to see you posting georgene.. You’ve always got a blessing for those who read, a God truth and an encouragement… satan likes to isolate us and make us think we are all alone.. But we are never alone God is always there ready to take our hand..
prying you have a blesssed sunday
raine
Oh my, what a blessing you shared with us! Thank you. It was much the same as my Sunday School lesson today….God must want me to “get it” since he brought it to me TWICE!
Blessings to you. I pray for his presence, power, protection and provision in your life and for your family. Q.’
AMEN! We are under attack too, as we step out in several areas of ministry and service. The things we need to use have been attacked (my car won’t start, our digital camera was stolen, and Jeff’s computer fried). I’m amazed at the enemy’s attack, but it assures me that we’re on track!
Georgene,
Thanks for sharing. I have to admit, I have been a pouty, little, spiritual brat this past while. Too much to figure out! Yet, when I read your post, the full realization of my problem….trying to figure it out, instead of fixing my gaze on Jesus, the author and perfector of my faith. Walking in His unforced rhythms of grace and RESTING instead of figuring…….ahhhhh, that feels better!! Thanks
Sharon
Re: books – I know your book list! I think I’ve taken notes from that book list in the past
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I appreciate your honesty. This past summer when I was going through a health challenge, I was reading 1 Peter. You remember how in the first chapter, Peter was encouraging those undergoing severe persecution for their faith (I looked it up and learned they were being burned as human torches lining the streets and other things like that – imagine the fear!) and Peter never said, “Don’t worry, everything will be okay.” He told them that they had a living hope and all the other great stuff that follows. He pointed them to Jesus, helped them FIX their eyes on Jesus, not their sufferings. By His grace, you did that for yourself
. You did what David did, too, speaking to his soul. “Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him.” Thank you for following God, being human, and sharing that with us 
. Blessings, Pam
I am sorry for what you’ve been going thru. I know you’ve grown because of it; yet it does get hard! Hang in there!
Hello, thank you so much for stopping by my site! Mimi has sent so many over to me, I’m having a hard time keeping up with responding to comments! I’m so thankful for all the wonderful folks I now have to lean on! I hope you come by again!
Sandra
Georgene, sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to your site… I loved your site, and your insite on trials… something none of us miss! RYC, were still here in Mississippi and will be here till the end of Jan. So far things are going slow and I hope they will till it’s time to go back. It’s been so fun being home again, and Vicki is jsut as hyper as ever to be here too. Thanks for your interest! ~Phyllis
I was thinking of you this evening. Hope you and yours are doing well. Bless.