Look to Jesus

When Jesus told Peter to step onto the water towards Him (Matthew 14:29-30), Peter fixed his gaze on Jesus, miraculously walking on water. However, as he shifted his focus downward, realizing the impossibility of such a feat, he began to sink. A parallel unfolds in the Exodus narrative, where the Israelites, plagued by deadly snake bites, cried out to Moses for divine intervention. God's response was profound - He instructed the molding of a bronze serpent, and those bitten found healing by merely looking upon it (Numbers 21:8-9). Once again, the divine call is to fix our eyes on the One who redeemed all of creation. Through His death and resurrection on the cross, all creation finds renewal. By anchoring our hope, trust, and ultimate vision in our Lord and Savior, we find salvation. As echoed in the lyrics of an Alan Jackson song, “we will walk through fire (on this fallen earth) without blinking.”

We are not only summoned to serve and glorify God but also to live by and meditate on every word from His mouth (Joshua 1:8 and Deuteronomy 8:3), engaging in continuous prayerful reflection (1 Thessalonians 5:17). What does true meditation entail? Chad Bird, a professor specializing in the Old Testament and Hebrew, put it like this, “Have you ever driven from point A to point B and have no recollection of the time on the road because your mind was so preoccupied with something else? Meditation is, in fact, a basic human behavior. Some subject, idea, experience, story, or person enthralls us. It might be a few minutes; it might be an hour. We lose ourselves in it. We focus on that one thing to the exclusion of everything else.” link to tweet.

In light of this understanding of meditation, I find myself often engaged in it, though regrettably not always centered on God. Too often, I am consumed by worry about the surrounding issues, pondering potential solutions. In the midst of this sea of uncertainty and anxiety, akin to Peter, I need to redirect my gaze to Christ. Focusing on Him, everything else falls into place. This shift doesn't negate the necessity of addressing the concerns that once burdened my thoughts; rather, it signifies trust that God will guide my efforts. This trust implies a willingness to undertake more than I would when attempting to navigate problems independently. Empowered by faith, I am now committed to serving and glorifying God, recognizing that in comparison, the issues are relatively minuscule.

All problems find resolution through the same principle—looking to God, fixing our eyes on the Good News, and attaching ourselves to our Savior, Jesus Christ, the pioneer and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2a). This is our duty, this is our calling. It doesn't diminish the need to work on the issues that once consumed our thoughts; rather, it redirects our meditation towards the Life-Giver Himself, God. This shift provides genuine life and real solutions, even if some remain beyond our timeline and our understanding. Regardless, we hold fast to Him and believe in Him, recognizing that He is our everything.

Go back home.