Day 10: Look to Jesus

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Day 10: Look to Jesus
Mark 8:22-25 / Hebrews 12:1-2

There is nothing in this life that is not changed for the better when seen through the lens of Jesus. In our fear, we can remember His perfect love displayed upon the cross that has already overcome. In our brokenness, we can look to His healing power. In the storms of life, we can look to Him as the voice that commands the wind and waves. In the face of death, we can see Him as our resurrection. The trial becomes an opportunity for His power and faithfulness to be shown. The need will once again reveal Him as the provider. The joys and triumphs will point to Him as the giver of all good things. The beautiful sunsets and the glorious night sky seen through Him will once again awaken our hearts to His beauty and how He placed it all there to cause our hearts to wonder at His glory.

If this is the case, why do we fail to see through the lens of Jesus so often? On one occasion, Jesus pulled a blind man away from a crowd and the gospel of Mark records a two-step healing of this man’s sight. This has left many puzzled. Why two steps? One of the reasons is simply that that is how it happened, pointing toward the historical accuracy of the text. The second is that in the following section, Jesus pointed out the inability of the disciples to fully see the ministry of Jesus. Thirdly, we see that Jesus doesn’t want us to see halfway but is relentlessly committed to our full and total wholeness. “Again Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes. The man looked intently and his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly” (Mark 8:25). Also, notice that the “man looked intently” and then his sight was restored. I wonder how much would change simply by looking intently at Jesus and through the lens of Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Here are a couple ways to let Jesus be your lens:

1.    Rather than looking to and through your career, your relationships, your education, the economy, etc. for the ways in which you see life, look to Jesus. Let him be your lens.

2.    Be intentional about what you physically look at. It has never been easier to be distracted by what we see. Try turning off your screen and go look at the beauty of creation, the face of a loved one, the blessings around you, and give thanks to the Giver.

The 12-day plan can be found here or on the YouVersion app.

Phil Wickham is...

Since his self-titled debut in 2006, Phil Wickham has emerged as a leader in the modern worship movement, penning countless songs sung in churches around the world. His RIAA Gold®-certified single, “This Is Amazing Grace,” was his first career No. 1, holding the top spot for 13 consecutive weeks and named Billboard’s No. 1 “Christian Airplay Song of the Year” in 2014 and BMI’s “Christian Song of the Year” in 2015. His anthemic “Living Hope,” also RIAA Gold-certified, earned him a GMA Dove Award for “Worship Recorded Song of the Year” in 2019.

His latest project, Hymn of Heaven (June 25, 2021, Fair Trade Services), was written during a year when the family of God couldn’t physically gather in houses of worship around the world. “Hymn of Heaven is full of praise and thankfulness, just lifting up the name of Jesus and speaking what we really know the reality is even though we don’t see it,” he says. “All I want to do is facilitate moments where people can encounter the presence of God.” The album’s first single, “Battle Belongs,” had already topped five different radio charts for multiple weeks.

Wickham’s music has received hundreds of millions of streams across his catalog and platforms, with his discography including eight full-length projects, multiple Christmas releases, and a series of popular Singalong records that capture Wickham’s songs doing what they were always meant to do—giving people language to sing to God. To find out more, visit PhilWickham.com