Saturday, March 27, 2010

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus...


Well, it's been an amazing and very draining week...GOOD draining...in the very best sense of the word!= ) 

I have been given SO MUCH this week...my Birthday Week...and I do have pictures to post, hopefully tomorrow, but I just wanted to share one thing the Lord has been revealing to me throughout this week. 
As you all know, this past year has been a crazy difficult year for me. A LOT of stuff that I know the Lord had to just let me drag myself through, until I was ready to put my face on the floor and truly SURRENDER, but He had to lead me there. 

This week, Jesus...our beautiful and gracious and gentle Shepherd, lifted my eyes to see Him, and said, "You have to start here." 
"Keep your eyes on Me." 

Remember, Peter? He sees Jesus out on the water and he's like, "WOW! WHOA! Jesus, if that's you, ask me to come to you on the water!" Can you imagine, being Peter that day! AWESOME, ey? You see your master OUT there! and you're so excited, because you know...Jesus just fed the 5000! CRAZY! I bet I can do this walking on water thing, too! 
So, Jesus says, "COME!" 

Peter gets out of the boat and starts walking...HE HAS HIS EYES FIXED ON JESUS! He's walking and lovin' every minute of it, enjoying the awesome experience of a miracle in the eyes of our human world. BUT...
what happens? Yeh...he looks up ...he looks down...he sees the waves, the water, the wind...and "OH YEH!" HIMSELF! "What am I doing? I can't do this? I'm a human being who can't walk on water! What am I thinking?" 

Then...BOOM! He's in the water crying out to Jesus to "Help ME!" What does Jesus say?
"Oh, ye of little faith...WHY DID YOU DOUBT?" 

Can you just hear the tone of His voice? = ) Like a father who is helping his child learn to ride a bike, or do something he KNOWS his child is capable of. But the child second guesses himself...he doesn't trust...HIMSELF! And the Father, gently, with great love ENCOURAGES the child to BELIEVE! 

Jesus calls us to "do this, or do that"...to live, breath, and have our being.
Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. 

It starts with "Keeping your eyes on Jesus." 

We are His sheep...He is our Shepherd. When we lose sight of Him and start trying to do stuff on our own, separate from Him...even in ministering to others...our family, our husbands, children...serving others. When we start thinking about ourselves...and our own limitations...like Peter and the waves and water...we lose sight of the TRUTH that "NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE for JESUS!" ...NOTHING!!! If He calls us to something...He will make a way if we keep our eyes fixed on Him...knowing He will give us the increase, He will give us the power, He will speak. But we have to let go of what we know and listen to the voice of our Shepherd. 

I LOVE this picture above! I want to keep it ever before me! To know that no matter what He calls me to...even if it would ultimately be speaking to a great King of a nation one day...to remember that I am and will always ONLY be...a little lambie girl...who has a GREAT SHEPHERD who leads me. = )

2 comments:

Amy said...

Beautiful Shepherd He is!!

I love love that picture too, Cheryl!
I always think of the story of the one that gets away.. that He loves the little sheep so much, He leaves the 99 to go and get that 1. Such love and such compassion!!

Ezekial 34:11-16 is such a cool cool description of how He leads and shepherd's us... so beautiful!

Love this post! Gorgeous picture of our Jesus... the Shepherd!

Cheryl said...

Hey Amy,

It's an AWESOME pic, isn't it? I love that He is "lifting" the head of the lamb...not all the way focused on Him yet. He is the one who has to do EVEN THAT for us! = )

Can't wait to chat this week!

I'm off to snuggle up with The Shack. = )

Love ya,
Cheryl