Here He Comes!

Posted Jun 27, 09:37 AM by Kay Camenisch

Lately our schedule has been nonstop, with deadlines, exhausting trips, company, and sleep interruptions. One night after a particularly grueling day and knowing that the next day would be even more demanding, as I went to bed I prayed, “God, let your strength be made known in my weakness. I can’t do tomorrow without you.”

The next morning I awoke with a song on my mind (and in my heart). Through it, God told me to turn my eyes upon Jesus “and the things of earth would grow strangely dim in the light of His wonder and grace.” I’ve sung that chorus many times, but never thought of such a physical application. I looked with hope and anticipation to see how the day before me would unfold.

Because of God’s word to me, I consciously turned my eyes on Jesus that day. I asked Him to guide me as I interacted with people. I prayed for others across the room. I sought purposefully to represent Him in all I did and said. And He met me. Physically. The soreness and fatigue grew strangely dim. I stood on concrete for twelve hours meeting the public and I had more energy at the end of that day than I had the day before.

My feet even survived. I have a lot of problems with my feet; they just aren’t made for shoes. But they did fine standing on concrete through that long day. All of a sudden, they’d be killing me, so I’d change shoes and they would be ok again. I changed shoes three times during the day, but most of the day I was totally unaware of my feet. I later discovered I had five or six blisters on them as well as a bruise under a toenail—but they didn’t hurt. My feet survived a day of torture, but I was oblivious except when it was time to change shoes.

A verse came to mind a few days later. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength . . .” As a child my sisters and I eagerly waited for my father to come home from work at the end of the day. We would sit on the porch with our eyes glued to the road watching for his truck to top the hill and descend to our driveway.

The first to sight him would cry, “Here he comes!” and we’d race across the yard to greet him. He’d stop at the end of the driveway. Whoever spotted Daddy first would get to stand on the running board and hang onto his window for the ride up the driveway. The rest would have to stand on the bumper and hold onto the tailgate. We waited and watched with eager anticipation.

If we can keep our eyes on God like my sisters and I kept our eyes on the road waiting for Daddy, the Lord will renew our strength. The things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of anticipating our Father. God may pour strength into us in some strange spiritual way that I don’t understand, but it may be as simple as where our focus is.

If we look at our problems, whether relational issues, financial problems, or aching feet, we are drained of strength. In contrast, if we are looking at Jesus with anticipation, our outlook is different, hope grows, and strength increases. He is our hope. As hope increases, so does strength.

The challenge is, in the midst of the demands of life, how to we keep our eyes turned on His wonderful face?