“To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until he has mercy upon us.” (Psalm 123:1-2)

Recently a new reminder was added to messages broadcast while riding escalators in the subway stations where I live. To the perennial “Please hold the handrail and stand firm,” a voice now adds: “Please don’t keep your eyes only on your mobile phone.”  What a statement on how tightly linked we are to our phones, even while commuting. I think it is also a statement on the number of mishaps and accidents that must occur because people are so focused on their phones.

I chuckled as I looked around, seeing many people ignoring the warning and allowing themselves to be completely distracted by the game, video, text or e-mail on their phone. Some looked so intent on keeping their eyes on their mobile they must have completely missed the message warning against that.

A wonderful chorus came to mind as I looked around:

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

I thought of all the places to which I turn my eyes and the things I focus on instead of on Jesus and how those distractions keep me from Him. My eyes turn to my desires, my goals, my life instead of Jesus. I focus on my needs, my hurts, my selfishness instead of His glory and grace.

Lord, I ask for reminders and warnings to keep my eyes away from things that distract me from you and can lead to mishaps and pain. With the psalmist, I want to lift my eyes to you and see you enthroned in the heavens. I want to turn my eyes to Jesus and fully see His face. Help me, Father, to focus on His glory and grace. Amen

By Linda Wolfe, Glen Acres Baptist Church, Waterloo