Keeping My Eyes on Jesus

I am so weak. My great weakness is revealed in the many things I aspire to do each day that never get done. I wake up each morning with a million things on my mind that had to be done. Get the kids to school, fed and with all their homework. Clean the house that is never really clean. Dishes, laundry, unexpected requests from others for help, my own work, pray, read the Word. See how those two things get shoved to end of the list of priorities. How easily that happens when you are a wife and mother of three. The days when I don't seek the Lord first always seem to be out of whack. Often, I hear His still small voice saying to me "Seen first the kingdom and His righteousness and all the rest will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33)." Oh, if I could just get that part right... I was wallowing this morning in self-pity. I cried most of last night and today, feeling overhelmed by all the responsibilities I have and the prospect of impending failure when I don't keep up. I decided at some point that I was just going to turn my eyes back to Jesus and just praise Him despite how I was feeling. I turned on Christian music and made a point to sing it loud in my kitchen, even if I didn't feel like it. One thing I do know - God is always worthy of praise! He is still good despite my small troubles which are light and momentary afflictions. In the past couple days while I was crying and feeling sorry for myself, I had a couple of powerful revelations. First, if all of life was easy and painless, I would have very little need for God because I would be satisfied with my own existence, but then I would never turn to Him and enjoy His presence in my life. As much as I hate to say, I spend the most time with God when the sky is falling on me. I try to seek Him with the same fervency when things are going great, but the truth is that I generally don't. Then, my eyes get off Jesus and when trouble comes again, I feel all alone again. The Word of God says that He will keep in perfect peace the one whose eyes are focused on him. When I am lacking peace, I should already know that my eyes are on all the troubles I have, all that I am failing to do, my inadequacy. But when I am looking at Jesus through prayer and His Word, I begin to remember how He sees em...without spot or blemish, blameless because He sees the blood of Jesus as the sacrifice and sufficient price for everything I have not done or succeeded in doing. Instead of seeing my failures, my Father in heaven sees me hidden in Christ. He sees me as one day I will be when the Author and FINISHER of my faith has completed His good work in me. So the next time I feel the waves of sadness, failure and hopelessness crashing over me, I will again turn my eyes to Jesus and He will always be there to restore peace to me again because He is Living Water to me. He is the only reason I can go on. Thank you Lord for reminding me that You are the giver of peace. You are the friend that sticks closer than a bother. All I need to do is keep my eyes on You, and You will take care of the rest. (NKJV) Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. (NKJV) 2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (NKJV) Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (NKJV) Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. His beloved, Sarah