There Is Hope When We Keep Our Eyes On Jesus
By Julie Lockyer, Events Scheduler and Receptionist
Not too long ago I did a Visio Divina (Latin for “divine seeing”) over Zoom with a few ladies that I know. I am glad they are a part of my life and that I got to do the Visio Divina with them. The purpose of the Visio Divina is to listen to what God may be saying to you while looking at a picture and discovering how it relates to your life.
The picture we looked at was Rembrandt’s painting of Jesus and the disciples during a storm in the Sea of Galilee. Some disciples were holding on to the boat, one man was standing inside the doorway of the boat, and a few men were sitting listening to Jesus at the front of the boat. They each had their own way of dealing with what was happening around them. But through this storm they were all looking at Jesus.
There were waves crashing on one side of the boat. It looked rough and very dangerous. But on the other side, I could see the sun starting to break through. To me, that meant hope in the eye of the storm!
After pondering on the image, we shared with each other what God told us and how it related to our lives. What I loved most about this exercise is that though we all had our own individual stories of stormy situations, we all had our eyes on Jesus. We were like the disciples! No matter what we go through, we have Jesus to look to. He is the one that helps us get through the storms in our lives. He is the One who gives us HOPE.
“‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I hope in Him!’” Lamentations 3:24
Thanksgiving and Christmas can be a rough time for me and my family. Years ago My dad went into the hospital right before Thanksgiving and never came home. He passed away on December 14, 2000. His birthday is December 20th. My children's dad passed a couple of years ago also in December. His birthday was in December as well. And I had an uncle who passed and his birthday was also in December.
In spite of the sadness, I look to Jesus to get me through it. I know that the people I love are celebrating up in heaven with the One who came down for us. I get to rejoice knowing I will see them all again one day. I know that no matter what I have been through, I can turn to Jesus and He will shine through the stormy clouds.
As Christmas approaches let’s lift our heads toward Jesus. He is the only One who can get you through the storms you may be going through. It could be the death of someone you love, or a divorce, or separation from a loved one. No matter what it is, Jesus loves you and is there for you.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for sending us Your son Jesus! When we are feeling down and are going through the storms in our lives, help us to look up! Help us to turn to Jesus and hold onto Your promises that this too shall pass. Thank You, Lord, for the people around us who can help us hold our heads up and encourage us to keep looking to You. Amen.
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