Happy Birthday John! Our oldest son in Brazil is 39!
Hebrews 12:2a Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, … Matthew 6:27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Early this morning I had an experience that is common to us all. I woke up at 3 AM with a slight cough that was persistent. I finally went and took some cough medicine, got a cough drop and tried to go back to sleep. As I laid there, resisting the urge to cough, I felt it beginning to recede. It was almost enjoyable experiencing the urge to cough totally disappear over the course of several minutes.
I was so grateful I started thanking the Lord for the blessings of having it go away and to be able to rest peaceably. At that moment my mind was filled with a wonderful song: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. I love the way the Newsboys do this song. What a blessing to lie there, worshipping the Lord, while this song was running through my mind – and free from the cough! In the midst of this moment the Lord just impressed upon me a much broader lesson that I had just experienced with my disappearing cough.
The Lord turned this simple, everyday kind of experience into an important lesson of the reality He is in our lives. We are surrounded by worry, anxiety and stress (pick your word) – much of which comes from very real problems we face. They all can provoke a real life spiritual ‘cough’ within us, that can affect everyone around us. A major answer to this problem is eyes of faith, fixed upon Jesus. He gives us perspective. He enables us to see that He is the one we look to and trust. He is the remedy for dealing with these problems – not worrying about them.
He enables us to dismiss the ‘shadow’ worries and deal with the real problems – but from a place of faith, anchored in Him. We enter into His peace and are able to function effectively, free of the spiritual ‘cough’. Allow yourselves a few minutes to enjoy this wonderful song and turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Don's Devotionals: Learning to love God 