The Eye of the Beholder

GCD Weekly Newsletter January 23rd 2023

“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.”

“Okay, Google, turn the bedroom lamp off.” I ask our smart device, “Please,” My wife adds. Then the room goes dark. That lamp is the last light I see each night, and then the first light I see each morning as it wakes itself up and me with it. I’m up before everyone else in the house, usually by a few hours, and of late I’ve been leaving the house before the sun is out. I switch on my phone’s torchlight to make my way to the bus stop; by the time I’m there, I’m on Twitter. Once the bus comes I’m all caught up, but I keep scrolling, I wonder how much I miss on that bus journey. If I looked out of the windows, peering through the pitch stained air and the fog, would I see something beautiful in God’s creation? Would it be brighter outside in the darkness than what I’m stuck reading by the bright light of my phone?

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

In each of this week’s articles, you’ll be called in one way or another to turn your eyes away from the lights of this world and onto the light of the world. Whether in preparation for Lent when we remember Christ’s temptations in the wilderness, to find the only approval which matters, or to redeem the time we spend on social media. The word, “Behold,” appears 1,111 times in the ESV, a word intended to draw our attention away from what our eyes are fixed on and onto something better. Imagine for a second that someone walked up to me on that Bus, stood over me and shouted, “Behold! God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.¹” I think that would warrant my attention.

Look full in His wonderful face

But it isn’t good enough only to know to turn my eyes towards Jesus. The Bible is clear that even Demons know that Jesus is Lord, so our eyes need to do more, to refocus. It can be painful at first. When the lamp went on this morning, my first reaction was to go on the alert. A light had turned on, disturbed my peace, and my dazed sleepy mind didn’t know how to handle it. Such is the beauty of Christ. In our sleepy, disillusioned, work-weary, Monday morning haze, truly beholding the beauty of Christ can be a sharp wake-up call.

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

When we do refocus, however, when we really see the beauty of Jesus and accept it as more majestic than any of the other sights our eyes have been taught to and predisposed to love the sight of, those things seem dim in comparison.

In the light of His glory and grace.

I don’t know what you’re scared of, fearful of, or furious over as we start the week, but God has grace for it. However dark the night might be, God’s mercies—brighter than the morning sun—are new every morning. The gospel is not a pill we take when we first come to Christ, only to then move on to greater more eloquent truths as we walk the path of repentance and faith. The gospel is a necessary reminder for each believer each and every morning. Turn your eyes upon Jesus again today. Look full in his wonderful face, and the things of this world will begin to grow dim, as you’re called back once again to delight in God’s glory, mercy, and grace.

Grace and Peace,

Adsum Try Ravenhill is married to Anna and together they are passionate about seeing young men and women discipled within the context of the local church. You can find Adsum through his writing at The Raven’s Writing Desk and alongside Anna as the co-host of the Consider the Ravens Podcast, you can also find Adsum’s articles for GCD here.

Articles of the Week

We Must Repent: An Introduction to Lent
— by Esau McCaulley

“Lent is a season of repentance and preparation. In many churches, it is a time when those who will be baptized prepare for their new life with God. It is a time when those who have been estranged from the church can be reconciled to the body of believers. It is also a time for all of us to think about the ways we have drifted from the faith. The common theme uniting these three functions of Lent is that they all involve a turning toward God with intention and reflection on the past.”

Seeking Validation
— by Brianna Lambert

“In the very beginning, the Lord God created life in the barrenness of the cosmos (Gen. 1:1). He spoke light into existence, and he formed a world and filled it to the brim with stomping creatures, flying birds, and incredible humans. After each new creation, Scripture tells us he looked at his work and called it good (Gen. 1:9). The root of that word brings to mind beauty and purity, but it also connotes value. God’s creation held worth.”

The Young Adult’s Guide to Social Media
— by Tristany Corgan

“Social media is the primary cause of anxiety and depression in the lives of so many young adults, yet it has imbedded itself so deeply in our culture that we can’t seem to escape it. If you’re a young adult (or an adult of any age) and you have the ability to get off of social media, do it. I once heard it said that you’ll never look back and think, “Gee, I wish I spent more time on social media.” You’ll experience a level of freedom and peace you haven’t felt in a long time.”

Question of the Week

What’s your favourite Hymn? Leave a comment below to let us know!

1. Ps 54:4.