“Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth 
Will grow strangely dim
In light of His glory and grace.”
 
Actually, we need to KEEP our eyes upon our wonderful Lord Jesus!  And in this place we find ourselves at this time, it is what we are to do.  He has provided this time to look to Him; to know Him more, to trust Him more, to grow strong in our faith.  What a great opportunity we have!  So let us focus our eyes in the right direction.
 
Jesus makes very clear the importance of the eye of the Believer:
“The lamp of the body is eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If  therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness.”   Matthew 6:23-24
 
Looking at circumstances keeps us from looking Christ ward and developing spiritual vision.  2 Kings 6:17 is an example of spiritual vision in answer to prayer,
“And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘LORD, I pray open his eyes that he may see.’  Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw.  And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
(This was when the king of Syria sent a great army to get Elisha, but God’s protection was in place.  Elisha’s eyes were heavenward, but the servant’s eyes were on the circumstances.)
 
Afflictions prepare us for spiritual vision,
“I have heard of You by hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.”  Job 42:5  (All Job’s afflictions brought him to the place where he could see the Lord.)
 
Matthew 5:8 tells us,
“Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.”
 
Jesus tells us in John 16:13-14 that the Holy Spirit is the One who reveals spiritual truth to us,
“However, when He, the Spirit of Truth has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.”
 
Heavenly vision beholds the glory of things to come:
“Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;
They will see the land that is very far off.”  Isaiah 33:17
 
In His High Priestly prayer Jesus prays,
“Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given me, may see my glory that You have given Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”  John 17:24
 
“Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”  1 John 3:2
 
2 Chronicles 16:9 tells us that  our protector’s eyes are toward those who love Him,
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…”
 
He is our fortress and defense:
“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”  Psalm 18:2
 
“For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.”  Psalm 27:5
 
“God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in time of trouble.
Therefore we will not fear…”  Psalm 46:1-2
 
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold 
From those who walk uprightly.”  Psalm 84:11
 
This is the security of the one who trusts the Lord--the one who has his/her eyes focused on the Lord.
“He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him, 
With long life I will satisfy him 
And show him My salvation.”  Psalm 91:15-16
 
Thank you Lord for this time to know You more, to love You more, to depend on You more, to trust You more, to mold us into the people You purposed us to be!  Amen