Faith in the face of evil
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
words & music by Helen H. Lemmel, 1922
Turn your eyes up Jesus.
Look full in his glorious face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
There is so much evil in the world. It is heartbreaking and distracting beyond words. The evil that men do to one another has the ability to overtake our senses, overwhelm our ability to conceive of it.
But there is a peace and a sanity that exists in a mind that focuses on heaven. Why? Because we know the ending… eternal life in Heaven.
The song that I reference above, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, is a wonderful example of a life that faces Heaven, yet acknowledges this life is hard, that we face obstacles that may seem overwhelming.
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!
Evil is a fact our our lives, and some Christians have to stare it more directly in the face that we can even begin to understand. Currently, there are Christians world-wide facing the threat of death just for being faithful to our God. Christians in parts of India are suffering greatly, with churches being burned down, and the threat of injury and death very real. But they stand tall in their faith. How? Because they know how their stories will end… face-to-face with our Father God, basking in His glory and grace.
Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!
When we read of the persecution of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we pray. We pray for healing in a world that turns from God. We pray that our fellow Christians will be strong in the face of this evil. We pray that their tormentors will accept the forgiveness and redemption that God so willingly wants to give them. But we must also remember, and be comforted by the fact, that these saints on earth face those who want to destroy them with the courage and knowledge that what awaits them on the other side is a victory… a victory over evil, over evil-doers, and over death itself.
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!
Those Christians that face this horrible persecution rest on the words above. They are following the Great Commission. They are going to teach those who are lost of a God of love and light.
How many times have we all read of a persecuted Christian, facing death, who is so at peace, so calm? It never fails to confound those who spread evil. But Christians know what those who wish to destroy them cannot understand. What awaits erases what comes before.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, please visit www.yesugarden.blogspot.com. It is written by a wonderful sister in Christ, Amrita. Although I will most likely never meet her face to face on this earth, I look forward to the day that we stand together at the throne of God.
To listen to Alan Jackson sing Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, click here.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Thank you Linda for your prayers. We are all in God ’s family and witnesses of His grace.
That song is simply beautiful
May 26th, 2010 at 10:24 am
Thank you Linda for your prayers. We are all in God ’s family and witnesses of His grace.
That song is simply beautiful