Recently, my oldest grandson mowed our yard. Now, that may not seem like a big thing. After all, Asher is twelve years old. But this wasn’t some easy-to-handle push mower. This was a zero-turn 60” deck behemoth of a riding mower we use to tame our 3ish acres of lawn.
At first, Asher’s lines were wobbly as he got used to the steering, which is more like a Caterpillar bulldozer than a car with a steering wheel. I also noticed that he was watching the front wheels of the mower instead of looking further ahead. But as he kept going, his lines smoothed out, and his confidence grew.
One day Jesus’ followers were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had stayed behind to dismiss the crowd. As they were crossing, the wind and waves grew, which rocked the boat and made the whole journey unbearable. While they struggled, Jesus came along walking on the water. To say they were scared is an understatement. But Peter said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” (Matthew 14:28, NASB95) Too which Jesus said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” (Matthew 14:29, NASB95) At that moment, Peter’s focus was on Jesus and the miraculous happened. We aren’t told how many steps Peter took, but as soon as he took his eyes off Jesus, well, Matthew records it this way – “But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30, NASB95)
Where we look, what we concentrate on matters. So often, our attention is drawn to the wobbles, concerns, waves, and challenges of life. We concentrate on those things as we maneuver our way along and end up bouncing all over the place. But I’ve found that if we’ll take a moment to look up, it changes everything. When Peter focused on Jesus, he walked on water; when his eyes turned towards the wind and waves, he sank. Jesus is there either way. But focusing on Him really does change things from merely surviving to experiencing something wonderful and perhaps even a bit miraculous.
It’s not easy. Our troubles, concerns, and challenges scream for our attention. The Psalmist writes, “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1–2, NASB95) Where we look is up to us. “I will lift up my eyes,” as the Psalmist says. I will choose to look up, to look towards Jesus Christ.
What that means practically is up to you. It could mean putting down the smartphone for a time. It could mean finding a moment of focus to start our day. It could mean praying when waves batter our boat instead of yielding to anger or fear. It could mean giving your problems, concerns, and challenges to Jesus. But even if we fail at lifting our eyes, Jesus is there to lift us up.
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