Hymn of Heaven: A 12 Day Devotional With Phil WickhamSample

Look to Jesus

Passage: 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.