1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is Turn your Eyes upon Jesus. 4 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 2: We'll return with the devotional after a brief message. 5 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: From our sponsors. 6 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 2: Turn your Eyes upon Jesus written and read by Megan J. Connor, 7 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:45,880 Speaker 2: and let us run with perseverance the race marked out 8 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 2: for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and 9 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 2: perfector of faith, for the joy set before him. He 10 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 2: endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at 11 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 2: the right hand of the throne of God Hebrews Tel. 12 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 2: One through two and IV. How many of us know 13 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 2: and love the famous hymn Turn your Eyes upon Jesus. 14 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 2: There really is a sense of purity and weightiness to 15 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 2: many of the hymns we sing, but this one strikes 16 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 2: a particularly intimate chord, as it beckons us to look 17 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 2: up and out beyond our distraction, disappointment, and even our despair. 18 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 2: Not only is it colonists to shift our perspective, but 19 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 2: to fix our gaze on the face of our Lord. 20 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 2: It is there that all of the cares of this 21 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 2: world dim and fade in the light of His love. 22 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 1: And glory. 23 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 2: This hymn truly is one of my absolute favorites. I 24 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 2: actually wasn't exposed to it until a bit later in life, 25 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,040 Speaker 2: but it was so influential that decades later I still 26 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 2: have a vivid memory of the first time I heard it. 27 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 2: I was writing in the back of the car when 28 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 2: a beautiful rendition by Michael W. Smith first shared these 29 00:01:55,640 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 2: beloved lyrics. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in 30 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 2: his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow 31 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 2: strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. 32 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 2: There is so much in our world that clamors for 33 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 2: our attention, our challenges, our worries, our incessant need to 34 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 2: be busy, and our constant pursuit of happiness, all of 35 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 2: which depletes our faith, steals our peace, and results in 36 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 2: a complete lack of contentment, leaving us feeling lost, anxious, 37 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 2: and hopeless. This is the slippery slope that can so 38 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 2: easily lead us astray. Often our distance from the Lord 39 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 2: is not due to intentional rebellion, but rather a slow 40 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 2: fade of affection, As famously quoted by Corey ten Boom, 41 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 2: If the devil can't make you bad, He'll make you busy. 42 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 2: True satisfaction can only be found in him. Nothing else 43 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 2: will ever satisfy. In preparation for sharing about this hymn 44 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 2: and today's devotional, I conducted a little research to learn 45 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 2: more about its order and authorship. The hymn was penned 46 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 2: by Helen Lemmel in nineteen twenty two. Her own words 47 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 2: were inspired by the life and poetry of a female 48 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 2: missionary named Lilius Trotter, who encouraged those around her to 49 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 2: turn your soul's vision to Jesus and look and look 50 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 2: at him, for he is worthy to have all there 51 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 2: is to be had in the heart that he has 52 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 2: died to win. Jesus was, is, and always will be 53 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 2: the answer to our questions, the treasure to our pursuit 54 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 2: of riches, and the fulfillment of our innermost desires. The 55 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:37,839 Speaker 2: God shaped hole in each of our hearts will never 56 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 2: be satisfied by the lesser things of this world. The 57 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 2: struggle truly is real. The noise and allure of all 58 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 2: that surrounds Us will constantly bobarred our hearts and minds. 59 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 2: It will never go away while we remain in this 60 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 2: fallen world. As such, it requires intentional effort on our 61 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 2: part to break free of our earthly bonds. But when 62 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 2: we really think about it, the effort is so minimal. 63 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 2: All we have to do is look up, just set 64 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 2: down our phones, walk away from our planners, close our computers, 65 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 2: or turn off the TV, and simply shift our gaze 66 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 2: from the temporal to the eternal. The Lord has already 67 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 2: done all of the hard work for us, for the 68 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 2: joy set before him. He endured the cross, scorning its shame, 69 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,239 Speaker 2: and sat down at the right hand of the throne 70 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 2: of God he Brews twelve to two NIV. The only 71 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 2: thing he is asking of us is to turn our 72 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 2: eyes upon him. As soon as we do, all the 73 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 2: things of the world will grow dim in the light 74 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:43,039 Speaker 2: of His glory and grace, intersecting faith and life. Do 75 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 2: you feel overwhelmed, distracted, or lost? 76 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: If so, how do you attempt to comfort yourself or 77 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 1: ease your worries? I encourage you. 78 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 2: Take some time today to listen to the timeless truths 79 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:58,159 Speaker 2: of this hymn. I pray ad ministers to your acheing 80 00:04:58,279 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 2: or anxious soul. 81 00:04:59,440 --> 00:04:59,839 Speaker 1: As you can. 82 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 2: That's your gaze upon him, and may we all relish 83 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 2: in His light. And love and grace. For further reading, 84 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 2: take a look at Psalms chapter one oh five, verse four, 85 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 2: Jeremiah chapter twenty nine, verse thirteen. Thanks for listening to 86 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 2: today's devotional. If you liked what you heard today, we 87 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 2: want to make sure you know about our sister podcast, 88 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 2: Your Daily Prayer. 89 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: When you follow your daily prayer in your favorite podcast app, 90 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 1: you'll get a. 91 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 2: Brand new prayer and devotional each day, so your days 92 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:36,479 Speaker 2: begin in conversation with God. 93 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: If you're looking to grow in prayer or start your 94 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 1: day with your heart focused on the right things, search 95 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: for your daily prayer in your favorite podcast app and 96 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 1: be sure to follow the show so you get a 97 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: new prayer delivered straight to you each morning.