Turn Your Eyes On Jesus And Behold Him

Turn Your Eyes on Jesus

Beloved, before you ever were—before Adam ever was—it was understood. It was known that I would be made like you in every respect—made like you having flesh and bone— made like you in order that I might be a merciful, faithful and sympathetic High Priest (Hebrews 2:17). It was imperative for Me to live as you live, to suffer, to die to self and in the physical, in order to make complete atonement and propitiation for your sins (Hebrews 2:18). How else would I have been able to understand the pain and suffering of your life . . . the power of physical death to separate you from the One who loves you so?

I was tempted, tested and tried for you. Don’t you know, because of this, I am able to immediately run to you, able to assist and relieve you in the midst of any temptation or testing (Hebrews 2:18)? I went to great lengths such as has never been done before on the behalf of any man. I daily disciplined Myself to obedience and humility so you can overcome. I inclined My ear to the Father, making way for you to hear as I hear . . . to be as I am.

It is time to quit looking with such an introspective heart. When you do there will always be something the enemy is more than willing to point out to bring discouragement to your heart. The enemy wants to take your eyes off Me, the author and finisher of your faith—to invalidate all I have done and induce your heart with a fear capable of keeping you at arm’s length from Me. Let Me be the one who instructs you without the threat of guilt or shame.

One of the enemy’s greatest delights is for you to focus on your failures; to the point guilt and shame have power over you. He does this in order to make you fear coming to Me. How he tries to convince you to be introspective to the point of wallowing in destructive thoughts. There is only one antidote to this aggressive tactic of his: beholding Me.

Let My love cover your sin and set your heart free. When Holy Spirit makes you aware of some unprofitable or ungodly thing in your heart, deliverance and freedom always accompany the revelation. Guilt and shame are never used by Me—only tenderhearted conviction moving hand in hand with a cleansing forgiveness and restoration.

Turn your eyes, look into My gaze and you will cease to look inward. Beloved, My finger is on your chin and I am lifting your head, adjusting your countenance and enabling you to look at Me. Open your heart and see.

Consider Jesus

Beloved, you have been consecrated, set apart for Me. You have been separated forever from the world and its designs for your life and transferred into My Kingdom of Light. I have taken you from the common and ordinary existence to be of use in a sacred and holy way. I have made you venerable and worthy of being treated with reverence, deserving of honor and respect. Simply stated; I have made you all things that I am. You have been set apart and consecrated to Me . . . you have been set apart to worship Me.

What a beautiful privilege to walk in such a relationship with Me—a relationship of mutual love and respect. What a beautiful thing to be able to—freely without blemish—look into the fullness of all I am and discover who you are at the same time. Mutual love . . . mutual respect and honor bought with precious blood.

Therefore Beloved, raise your eyes to the heavens and look attentively at Me. Consider Me . . . look at Me (Hebrews 3:1). Look at the fullness of who I am without fear. Your eyes have been looking at so many things. These things, these untoward thoughts about Me and your situation, have clouded your vision. For the most part, you aren’t even aware of it. This is why I am here, to give you a new perspective and release your eyes and heart to see, to behold Me.

How long has it been since you sat with Me with the only intent of your heart being to consider Me and the beauty of who I am. I have consecrated you through the laying down of My life. You must come and gaze upon Me as an astronomer gazes at the stars through his telescope. You must come and gaze upon Me as a child would when marveling at the beautiful array of stars filling a night sky when he says to His father, “I wonder . . . .” His imagination fills with the many glorious possibilities contained in what He sees.

Come today and consider Me for no other reason than I AM and the faith of a child stargazing into the wonders of a night sky will fill your heart. I promise. I give My Word. Come! Lift your head and look into the beauty of My face. Come, look and see.

Put Aside Every Encumbrance And Look To Jesus

Yes, come My beloved one and throw off all encumbrances, all useless burdens you were never meant to bear, all distractions, and all failures of days and seasons past (Hebrews 12:1). Distractions cause confusion as a multiplicity of anxieties crowd your mind and cause you to act with folly and disorder. Confusion is a brutal robber of peace. Its desire is to overthrow and defeat a peaceful contented heart to the point your trust in Me and My goodness is eroded. Look away from all things distracting you no matter how little or insignificant they may seem (Hebrews 12:2). Even a small thing, when fixated on, has great power.

When this happens you avert your eyes from Me. Instead of looking at Me you look downward in shame or outward at things unable to satisfy. Looking fully into My Word of Truth and My eyes of graceful and merciful love is the only cure to the malady of self-introspection wrought by agitation, perplexity and an anxious heart. All of these combined bring one’s heart into unbelief and make faith weak at best. Unbelief is indeed blind.

Therefore, I am here with eye salve to anoint the eyes of your heart and enable you to see and have a deep abiding comprehension of all I have done.

Yes, I anoint you with the truth—with the revelation that I have already set you free. I gave all I had to the point of death. No words can ever say as much as the blood which poured down My face—the blood which saturated My robe and My Cross.

Be reminded of the precious value of what I have done. Be reminded of My might, power and dominion in all things. Be reminded that I am the anointed one who lives forever more. Don’t let the beauty of who I am fade in the light of distraction’s threatening glare. Run the race set before you with confidence in Me, for I endured the Cross for the joy set before Me. The joy set before Me was you. The joy set before Me is you (Hebrews 12:2). Nothing has changed. You are My joy. Now let Me be yours in every way. Receive joy.

Think On Jesus

Beloved, it is time to not only look on Me but to think on Me. It is not enough to look away from other things and look on Me and not think of the magnitude of who I am. It is in doing this, through the instruction and revelation of the Word, your mind becomes renewed.

A renewed mind thinks like I think, loves like I love and is what I am. I lead by the example I set and I am the complete source of all your faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word. Beloved, faith COMES. It comes to you in response to the hearing of the Word. Speak My Word out loud and let your own speaking bring this truth to pass in your own life. Speak! Hear! And faith will come.

The surest way of thinking on Me is to know something about Me. In knowing something about Me through the reading and meditation of My Word, you are enabled to gaze on the attributes of who I am. Meditating on these aspects equates to thinking on Me with a deliberate intention that promotes the building of steadfast faith and an unwillingness to give in to the lies and deceptions of the enemy.

Imagine for just a moment all of the hostility I endured, all the shame I despised and ignored in order to overcome, in order for you to believe, to receive. See Me sitting at the right hand of the Father far above all powers and principalities, having defeated death, hell, and the grave. See Me enduring the hostility and abuse of sinners in order to be your defender, your Redeemer regardless. Think, meditate, muse, consider, ponder, reflect, and imagine all these things and more that you might not grow weary and faint—that you might not lose heart causing you to relax to the point of faint in your minds, your beliefs.

Yes, contemplate individual portions of Scripture, especially those portraying My character, nature, essence and beauty. Let these Words fill your thoughts as you gaze on Me. Repeat them, say them over and over. This is meditation. This is thinking. Time is here to put gazing and thinking together. They are a power-packed duo capable of changing your whole life and way of thinking. Come; I am waiting with open arms to reveal Myself as you avail yourself to gaze and think.

Transfigured By The Light Of His Glory And Grace

Beloved, am I the One Thing you should desire above all other things (Psalms 27:4)? You are My One Thing. Am I your one thing? Know this; I am yours and you are Mine. In case you might wonder, I never get tired of reminding you of this truth, this dynamic. There is unlimited power in this truth as you live and move and have your being in Me (Acts 17:28).

All I did, I did for you—I did it all to make a way for you—to make way for you to come into the intimate places behind the veil. Being with Me is more than receiving revelation, understanding and such. It is about being with Me for the sheer pleasure of who I am—the sheer pleasure of who we are together.

Let your greatest desire today be one of complete adoration and come in to dwell with Me for all time. Come and let us enjoy each other in the beauty of My house. To dwell doesn’t mean to have a temporary moment of residence. To dwell has a much greater significance and cries out for you to abide with Me in permanent habitation, to be with Me always and to trust Me when all does not seem well. Outside circumstances do not determine your access to abide in My habitation. Only one thing determines access: you. I have already done all that can be done. I made a way and am here with open arms.

Being enthroned in the praises of My people is one way I continue to dwell among you. To dwell is to continue without interruption, to never leave or forsake. To dwell is a state of existence.

Being with Me is to be your state of existence, your place of residence, your abode for all time. It does not begin when you die. It began when I found you and you found Me. Be insistent and demand with a veracity against all odds and the pandering of the enemy to be ensconced within the glory of My house. It is your right and I have given you authority and righteousness through sacrifice. Always remember to let repentance be the doorway by which you enter into My presence, for in repentance every veil of obstruction is stripped away thereby transfiguring you into My image (2 Corinthians 3:16-18).

Beloved, from this day forward do not let perceived winds and distractions keep you out of My house or keep you from focusing on Me. Look on Me—require Me all the days of your life and I will outshine your circumstances, causing all opposition to fade in the light of My glory and grace. When you look at Me, storms have no power and the snide taunting of the enemy is simply hot air and will go unnoticed.

Continuously cultivate abiding in My presence and your life will birth the fruit of consistency, adoration and transformation. Remember there is nothing you can do to earn one gaze from Me. The greatest gift I can give you is to let you see the reflection of how I see you in My eyes. Come and receive your identity according to what is found in My fathomless heart of love. Come and see.

Prayer of Supplication and Declaration

Lord, You have done so very much for me, more than I can ever imagine or dream. You understand every pain and suffering, whether they be physical, emotional or spiritual. Having been separated from Your father in those tormenting moments on the Cross, when the weight of all sin was upon You, enables You to understand when I feel far from You. You know the longings of my heart and understand every struggle and temptation I am faced with. Teach me to cry out Your name with the anticipation that You will come running to me immediately without reserve.

I have no righteousness of my own. All my righteousness was bought by You. I can never earn even one glance from Your eyes. Your tender glances have already been purchased and Your heart of love is overflowing with desire to reveal my identity and purpose. I refuse to listen to the lies of the enemy who taunts me, who ridicules me and says I am not worthy to look into the fullness of Your face.

Instead of hiding from You in my times of failure, I run to You and I am changed by what I see and hear. I look into Your eyes and see the reflection of who You say I am. My identity is in You. All my gifting, all my strong qualities, all my future glory are found in Your gaze.

Lord, open my eyes to see every encumbrance, every useless burden I carry. Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light. I cast all my cares on You today. One by one I let them go and my heart is becoming a place of contentment filled with peace and trust. When I focus on all You have said and done, confusion has no power over me—no power to perplex, agitate or threaten me with some type of impending doom or failure. Lord, Your Word says we have the mind of Christ and hold the thoughts and intents of Your heart. Therefore, I choose to delve into Your Word and discover who and what You are in a fresh and new way. I choose to speak the Word with my mouth and my spirit will hear and embrace the truth.

After all, I am the apple of Your eye and there is none like me in Your eyes. My name is engraved in Your hand and My face is ever before You. Open the eyes of my heart each and every moment I abide with You. Open it to the revelation of who I am in You. Open my heart to the truth that it is no longer I who live but You who live in me, the hope of glory. Transform me from glory to glory as I dwell in Your presence forever more. Amen

Reflect and Journal

Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.(Consider Him and look away from all that distracts) Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds. (Hebrews 12:2-3 Amplified)

1. Reflect on how the Lord knew, understood and had you in mind before the foundations of the world ever were, in relation to making a way for you to overcome and be free in Him.
2. Reflect on the lengths He went to in order to understand and have empathy with you and your sufferings.
3. In what areas are you prone to introspection (naval gazing) and give in to guilt and shame to the point it keeps you at arm’s length from the Lord in certain places of your heart?
4. Ponder the difference between condemnation and conviction. How can you tell the difference in your own life?
5. Take some time to respond to His invitation to gaze on Him for no other reason than He is.
6. Reflect on the transference of who you were to who you are in Him… from ordinary to sacred and holy, from dishonor to honor, from common and unworthy to worthy, reverenced and respected.
7. The Lord considers it an honor to walk with you in a relationship of mutual love and respect. In what ways can you improve this area of honoring the beauty of your relationship with Him?
8. He is here with you right now to anoint you and give you a new perspective. What do you need a new perspective in most of all? Take advantage of His Word and be specific. Take advantage of His Word and receive.
9. Spend a few moments stargazing into His eyes, His heart. Let Him fill you with the faith of a child and create a new wonder in your heart. Write down what you see and hear.
10. What specific encumbrances, distractions or useless burdens have been weighing you down?
11. A multitude of distractions and burdens create confusion. Have you had times of confusion recently? If so, take some time to be in His presence and He will show you the root or beginning place of this confusion. Once He shows you, cast your distractions and burdens on Him and let peace rule in your heart.
12. He is here to anoint your eyes and heart to enable you to have a deeper revelation of the work He accomplished on your behalf. Come into His presence and let your sanctified imagination assist you in seeing Him anoint the eyes of your heart. Write what you see or hear.
13. Reflect on being the joy set before Him and how He can be the joy set before you.
14. To gaze means to fix the eyes and look steadily and earnestly; to look with eagerness or curiosity; as in admiration, astonishment or study; a fixed look of wonder and admiration (Webster 1828).
15. To think means to have the mind occupied on some subject, to imagine, to conclude, to muse or meditate, to consider, to deliberate, to presume, to believe, to esteem and to remember with favor (Webster 1828).
16. Consider the two definitions above and reflect on your relationship with the Lover of your soul in the area of gazing and thinking. Have you been gazing and thinking?
17. Take some time to rest in His presence, use the scriptures above, or some you know, using them as an opportunity to gaze and think on those aspects of Him. Ask Him to renew your mind with the truth of the Word. As He speaks to you, write what He says. What He speaks to you can and will become future meditations for the renewing of your mind.
18. What lies of the enemy and veils of obstruction are being hindrances to abiding, dwelling in the house of the Lord in your life?
19. The word “dwell” is not a word which intonates having a temporary residence. It is a word of permanence and continuation. Have you related to abiding or dwelling as something you come in and out of in a transitory way with reference to beholding Him in intimate relationship?
20. The word “require” in Psalms 27:4 can mean to demand by right of authority. In what areas of your life do you need to stand up against the enemy in the authority He has given you? Take courage and evict the enemy with all his lies and accusations about who you are in Christ. The veil has been torn in two and you have access to the very presence of God in Christ Jesus.
21. Reflect on the most important thing you can do to cultivate beholding Jesus and discard any limitations or misperceptions which make you look like Peter at the storms around you.