Fix Your Eyes

     Well, this  week has been exhausting to say the least.   My Dad started a new  work shift,  so he now has to be up at 5am every morning.  Since then,  we kids get up at 5:30am every morning.  It gives us time to say goodbye to Dad before he heads off to work, then we start our day.  Mom  asked me to create  a schedule for the week  and the first event I chose was Bible reading from 5:45am - 6:30am.  This week has been a hard  adjustment, since I have a hard time getting to sleep, but it’s amazing how much you can accomplish when you get up at 5:30 every day.  I love it, by the way.   So, on the plus side, seeing the sunrise every morning is worth rolling out of bed before the crack of dawn.

Anyway, God’s been teaching me a lesson throughout my walk with Him, and will probably continue till the day I die.  But, it seems  He’s been trying to teach it more so this week.  I’m learning to fix my eyes on Jesus, especially when I’m tired and don’t feel like reading my Bible in the morning.  It’s what I need to do!   When my flesh is screaming at me, “Just go back to bed!” for the first 30 minutes after I get up, Jesus is softly calling me to  His word.  He’s asking  me to walk a little closer with  Him today.   He’s saying, “Fix your eyes.”

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  (2)  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.  (3)  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.  (4)  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”
Colossians 3:1-4


What is “losing a little sleep” compared to walking with the One who knit you together in your mother’s womb?  This world is full of evil of every kind and we can’t fight against it by ourselves.  We have to start every day with our eyes fixed on Jesus.  We have to stop making excuses such as, “I don’t have time to read my Bible,”  or “I’m too tired.”   I’ve made these same excuses,  I’m not going to lie,  but these excuses are a bunch of hot air.  Don’t have time to read our Bible?   Do we watch TV?   Do we read other books?   How about eating?   Are any of these more important than reading  God’s  word?

“For it pleased the Father that in Him should  all fullness dwell;”
Colossians 1:19

“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and     increasing in the knowledge of God;”
Colossians 1:10

How are we supposed to “increase in the knowledge of God” if we’re not in His word?   Each of us should be a vessel, empty of ourselves and ready to be filled with Him;  dying to self  daily and giving up all youthful lusts.

“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart form iniquity.”
2 Timothy 2:19

“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.  Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 
2 Timothy 2:21-22

Let’s start our day off with fixing our eyes on Jesus in His word.   Don’t start backsliding and getting away from God.  For me, it’s missing a day of reading my Bible, and the next thing I know I’ve missed another and another.  It messes up my daily  walk when my eyes aren’t  fixed on Christ.   My preacher always says, “The best cure for backsliding is a good dose of  repentance.”  Are  we daily  in God’s  word,  reading and praying?  We can usually tell if we’re getting away from God, because the Holy Spirit will start convicting our  hearts.  When that happens, there’s no peace within.  Peace is restored after repentance, and that starts with prayer.

Recently, I was having a couple of doubts about prayer and the way God answers our prayers.  I was wondering if our prayers actually made a difference.  I mean, I believed they did, and I could think of times in my life where God answered my prayers in a really big way.  Also, there are many instances in the Bible where people prayed and it changed things.  But, I was asking myself  “Does it really do anything when I pray for someone’s salvation or a church member who’s sick?   What about a friend who knows Christ, but has chosen the wrong path?”  It may have been Satan trying to put doubts in my mind.  I was feeling like I needed some reassurance from God.  So, I started  praying.   Go figure,  right?  God answered.

  “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.  (14)  Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:  (15)  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.  (16)  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  (17)  Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.  (18)  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.  (19)  Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;  (20)  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”
James 5:13-20

     **Elias, in verse 17, is very similar to my last name Eliason.   Pretty cool.  Random fact for the day.


It was like God was saying, “Here you go.”  Right there  He tells us, if any among us are afflicted, pray.  Afflicted means  to distress with continued suffering.  Those who are suffering around you, whether by persecution, finances, marriage, etc.,  pray.  “Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”   Effectual has an interesting meaning which is, “Possessing or exercising adequate power to produce a designed effect; completely efficient.”  Prayer  works; it accomplishes a lot.  I still stand in awe over the fact that God does hear our prayers and cares enough to answer them.  He’s calling us to be prayer  warriors.   Verse 17-20 talks about a man named  Elias, who was “a man subject to like passions as we are.”  He was tempted to sin like us, and made of flesh just like you and me.  But, he was also a man of prayer.   He prayed earnestly about the rain and God answered his prayer.   Our prayers availeth much, so as we go throughout our day, let’s remember to keep our eyes fixed and prayers fervent.   God is teaching me to keep my priorities in the right order.   Are your priorities in the right order?  Who comes first in your life,  God or self?

  “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.  (21)  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  (22)  But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.  (23)  For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:”
Philippians 1:20-23

~Beautifully Created 4 Christ~
~Philippians 1:6~