“It is so hard to see when my eyes are on me.”
– Keith Green, song “I Pledge My Head to Heaven
Psalm 25:15 “My eyes Oh Lord are continually toward You.”
Today, in our ever busy world we’re assaulted with information from all angles. In our era of text messages, smartphones, social media and emails accessible to us at any time of the day or night, the multi-tasking and over stimulation of our minds, can take its toll. We no longer can sit still, or ponder. It’s an art to even just let our minds “rest.” I include myself in this struggle to put down the phone and not be addicted to it. I have to be intentional about not allowing it to control my time and inundate my mind.
With all the technology tools at our fingertips, we are master jugglers in managing several balls in the air. In our fast paced digital and visual world, it can be an oxymoron to keep our eyes continually on the One we cannot see in the natural realm. How can we live in this world of broken focus and divided attention? I believe it’s the posture of the heart that determines the position of our gaze.
Though the Psalmist David lived during a different era, he still had distractions and battles of all kinds before him. (battles that were barbaric and violent in nature, remember Goliath anyone?!) Yet he says his eyes are continually on the Lord. The victories David experienced were in direct proportion to the continual focus of his gaze on the Lord.
His confidence and authority to fight battles came from a heart that was fixated with singular focus on the one thing: God’s presence.
At the time of writing this, I just returned from a quick trip to the grocery store earlier in the evening. While shopping for fruit for my son’s lunch box to take to school the next day, I was listening to a worship song on my phone with my earbuds on. I was standing in front of the produce section, picking nectarines and soon I realized my hand was lifted up lost in His Presence, singing in the Spirit and I was holding back the tears as my heart burned with love for Jesus. I don’t say this to pat my own back or exalt my ‘spirituality,’ I’ve most definitely had my moments and needed to get back on track and on fire again with my “First Love.”
Beloved Heart, the reason I wanted to share the above experience with you, is to encourage all of us – whether we have worship music or not – to constantly engage with Jesus, keep our eyes fixed on Him and be attentive to Him, no matter where we are physically. Whether it’s at the grocery store, work, at school, commuting in our car or using public transportation, board meetings etc.
It only takes a few seconds of turning our hearts toward Him and simply saying His name or lavishing on Him words of adoration straight from our heart.
The 17th century writer and monk, Brother Lawrence, practiced the presence of God as he washed the dishes in the monastery and repaired sandals. His book, “The Practice of the Presence of God,” is a compilation of conversations he had with visitors who came to seek spiritual guidance and wisdom from him. This book is a classic and I highly recommend it! Here’s an excerpt I wanted to share:
“Brother Lawrence thought it was a shame that some people pursued certain activities (which, he noted, they did rather imperfectly due to human shortcomings), mistaking the means for the end. He said that our sanctification does not depend as much on changing our activities as it does on doing them for God rather than for ourselves.
The most effective way Brother Lawrence had for communicating with God was to simply do his ordinary work. He did this obediently, out of a pure love of God, purifying it as much as was humanly possible. He believed it was a serious mistake to think of our prayer time as being different from any other. Our actions should unite us with God when we are involved in our daily activities, just as our prayers unite us with him in our quiet devotions” (p.24 ‘The Practice of the Presence of God’)
How do we practice the Presence of God in the ordinary, mundane parts of life (and the exciting ones)? By keeping the eyes of our heart fixed on Jesus!
The author of Hebrews says in Hebrews 12:2 “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed – that exhilarating finish in and with God – He could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now He’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.”
Don’t you just love how Hebrews 12:2 says, ‘study how He did it…’? Jesus is our perfect example and He said in Matthew 11:29, ‘Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’
When we study how Jesus did it and learn from Him, we find that He always lived a life of prayer and gratitude to the Father. His eyes were constantly on Abba and pleasing Him.
What are we gazing on? What are we fixing our attention on? You’ve heard it said, whatever we focus on, we empower. The more we fix our eyes and attention on Jesus, the clearer we are able to perceive and receive His Presence, His voice and His life. And oh the rich sweetness we find when we can still our hearts and breathe in deeply, His love and grace.
There’s something so blissful when we take time to meet with Jesus and simply fix our eyes on Him, adore the Person He is and enjoy His sweet, rich Presence – with no other agenda, than to just love HIM. The more we live in that kind of stillness and rest, the more clearly we can see His movements, the more clearly we can hear His sweet, tender voice that is charged with Heaven’s energy and divine insight. His counsel begins to be opened up and we see and hear things we couldn’t before.
God has a magnificent obsession with you. He pursues you to be near you. But that’s simply not enough for Him. He desires you to learn from Him, rest against His chest, be wholly satisfied in His Presence and fix your eyes on Him.
Psalm 16:8 I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
I would like to share with you some practical ways in fixing our eyes on Him and deepening our awareness of His Presence. You may have similar methods or tools you use to contemplate and become aware of His Presence. I’d love to hear your suggestions when we do our LIVE meet-ups.
Find a place in your home (wardrobe closet, bedroom or the bathroom for busy moms, car etc) where you can be in solitude and silence and simply take 10 minutes to be still in God (The more you do it, the easier and more enjoyable it becomes to get in that place of stillness). Madame Guyon the French mystic who loved Jesus deeply once said, “As soon as you come in the presence of God, remain in respectful silence for a little while… simply enjoy God.”
