Turn your eyes upon Jesus

I love this song!

I was looking for a song to send to a friend who lost her husband about 9 months ago and I remembered this song we sang during Bible Study Fellowship and I found it very appropriate because when we turn our eyes upon Jesus indeed we become more focused on Him than what appears to take us down

It remains one of my most favourite songs and I have been inspired as I went through the messages

God bless us All in this dying world and in the year 2025

Such an awesome song made even more wonderful by the story behind it of Helen reading an essay by I. Lillian Trotter called "focuss" (yes, with two s's) for which the chorus is derived.

"How do we bring things to a focus in the world of optics? Not by looking at the things to be dropped, but by looking at the one point that is to be brought out.

Turn full your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him, and the Divine “attrait” by which God’s saints are made, even in this 20th century, will lay hold of you. For “He is worthy” to have all there is to be had in the heart that He has died to win.

I. Lilias Trotter

There are a couple very short books by I. Lilias Trotter worth the read to see deeper into living life in Christ, "Parables of the Cross" and "Parables of the Christ-life" for which the words of this hymn touch so beautifully.

His word shall not fail you he promised believe him and all will be well then go to a world that is dying his perfect salvation to tell. This stanza really struck me by telling me that his word is perfect salvation and we should go preach his word to a dying world. This means we must share the gospel of the Lord to everyone around us. We are in an age of lawlessness and in a dying world. We need to save this world and bring everyone in it out of satan and darkness and into the kingdom of the Lord!

Thank you for all of the comments people took the time to write. Before I became a Christian, while learning to play the guitar, a Christian friend taught me to play this song. The words seeped into my soul. The ‘things of earth’ challenge all of the time but can ‘grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace’.

We encounter storms in our lives - literally and figuratively. Jesus used storms in his parable of the wise and foolish builders (Matt. 7) to illustrate the storms do not determine our outcome but whether we have heard and practiced His Word. Storms come to all but how we respond, determines whether we emerge stronger, more resilient, more committed to Him or shattered, destroyed, defeated. The foolish man built his house on sand and the storm revealed his folly. Some of us lived empty lives and experienced empty relationships that failed to endure because they were founded on inferior and fleeting things rather than grounded on the eternal Rock. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in his wonderful face, And the "storms" of life will grow strangely dim, In the light of his glory and grace." I want my heart to be established firmly upon Him. I want to focus on him. Live for Him. Glorify Him. Lift up His lovely Name. And put off everything that is inconsistent with His character and Word. Life is not easy. John 16:33 tells us the truth about pressures and trials in this life. Take heart brothers and sisters! He has overcome the world and we belong to an eternal Kingdom.

Matthew 14:25-32 “And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. And the disciples, seeing Him walking on the sea, were startled, saying, It is a ghost! And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus talked to them, saying, Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid. And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. And He said, Come. And Peter, coming down from the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the strong wind, he became frightened; and as he began to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me! And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him and said to him, You of little faith, why did you doubt? And when they got up into the boat, the wind ceased."

These scriptures were quoted by the brother who ministered the word to us during a city-wide church gathering in Hall 1 in New York City on 6/23/24. What he had fellowshipped on together with my recent personal experience made me appreciate more of this hymn.

Peter had the confirming word from the Lord “Come” before walking on the water. Seeing the strong wind, he became frightened and began to sink. But when he turned his eyes away from the storm and look away unto Jesus and cried out” Lord! save me! ” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him. When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased.

How much we need to turn our eyes upon Jesus and to look full in His wonderful face from the storm and the worldly things! Not just in the morning time with Him that we can gaze upon Him, but under His shining with His presence all day long. We need to exercise our faith in the stormy night! We can enjoy His salvation whenever we turn and look away from our environment unto Jesus! We are of little faith, but He is the Author and Perfector of our faith.

Taking courage, having His word, calling on His name, looking away unto Him, and staying in the church life are the surety of our daily salvation!

What a blessing your recording was to me today! Thank you very much for the pause and refreshment that helped me focus my eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith! Praise be to him now and forever!

My son died just six days ago. I awoke yesterday with this song on my heart..

It is helping me through this mourning process.

Thanks be to God,

This hymn has triggered a memory of maybe 60 years ago going to the weekly prayer meeting with my parents at age 8. My grandpa would get up to pray and his eyes would be wide open looking up to heaven with a big smile on his face totally oblivious to anyone around him just talking with his God.