Resolutions: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Over the last couple weeks, I’ve had the hymn "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" stuck in my head. If you’ve never heard it, go give it a listen – it’s by far one of my favorites.

But one part in particular has been standing out to me in this season. It says:
 
His word shall not fail you, He promised
Believe Him and all will be well
Then go to a world that is dying
His perfect salvation to tell

Oh, 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.

We’re quickly approaching the time where we usually make resolutions for the next year. Those goals of losing x number of pounds, of being more productive, etc. are probably popping into your head as we speak. As I’ve been thinking about this song, however, I’ve been convicted to think beyond the typical, tangible responses to the question of “what’s your resolution going to be for the next year?”
 
Life is busy. We get so caught up in things like school, work, relationships, or money that we often put God on the back-burner. He gets put up on a shelf in our mind, reserved for Wednesday nights or particular moments in our week but nothing more. That’s not the place He should hold in our lives, though, and He’s been reminding me of that fact over and over again lately.

God is a being full of glory and grace. He is deliverer and peace-giver. The lyrics of this song say that His words shall not fail, belief in Him brings peace. His presence dims the ever-present nagging of the world around us. Why would we not want to be with Him, think about Him, commune with Him?
 
A couple nights ago, I was talking to my dad about the Christmas song "O Holy Night" and its line that talks about falling to your knees in worship/rejoicing. He told me His resolution for 2019 was to build a relationship with God so intimate that falling to His knees was an immediate and direct response to entering God’s presence. I think that’s beautiful and something we should all consider as January comes up in a few days.

Now I’m not saying that tangible resolutions for the new year aren’t good or worth setting, but I think that it’s important to consider spiritual resolutions as well. I want to go beyond the physical and focus on my spiritual health. So, as I’ve been led to sing songs about His presence and thinking about my own relationship with God, I’ve been convicted to make 2019 the year of enjoying God and putting Him first.
 
Author | Emma Whitmer