By Sheila Barnett
“But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7 (ESV)
Have you heard of “simultanagonosia”? It is the inability to perceive more than one object at a time. A person with simultanagnosia can identify individual elements of a scene but cannot comprehend what is occurring overall within that scene. This disorder is like “not seeing the forest because of the trees.”
Consider Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples. We read in Matthew 14:22-34 (NIV) that he and the other disciples were in a boat one night, caught in a strong wind with large, dangerous waves. Suddenly, they saw a figure walking towards them on the water! It was Jesus, but in their terror, they thought the figure was a ghost. Understandably, they cried out in fear. Jesus immediately said to them, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid!” (v.27) But Peter wanted proof. He replied, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” (v.28) Jesus said, “Come”, so Peter bravely climbed out of the boat, stepped onto the water, and began walking towards Jesus! Then Peter traded his focus on Jesus for a look at the whole scene. As he watched the cresting waves instead of the compassion on his Savior’s face and listened to the howling of the wind instead of the words of his Savior’s voice, Peter started to sink. Terrified, he screamed, “Lord, save me!” and Jesus reached out His hand, catching Peter. Jesus then asked Peter, “Why did you doubt me?” and as they climbed into the boat, the wind stopped, and the waves died. The disciples, realizing that Jesus is the Son of God, worshipped Him.
No one escapes the storms of difficult circumstances in our lives. Thankfully, Jesus is always with us during our storms, giving us strength and guidance to find calm days again. We don’t need to fear the wind or the waves if we keep our “tunnel vision” on Jesus.
How do we learn to keep our eyes on our Savior? By paying attention to what Jesus teaches us about who He is, what He has done, and what He will do. We find these truths in Scripture, so reading the Bible and memorizing verses like Micah 7:7 (see above) will keep our hearts and minds focused on Him. Additional ways to keep our “tunnel vision” on Jesus is through prayer, praising and worshipping Him, and drawing strength from fellowship with other believers. We can stay on top of the waves instead of sinking into the water.
Helen Howarth Lemmel (1864-1961) wrote over 500 hymns and poems. A missionary friend gave Helen a gospel tract entitled “Focused,” which encouraged the reader to look into the face of Jesus and discover that earthly things acquire a strange dimness. Inspired by these words, Helen wrote her best-known hymn, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” The chorus is:
“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.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your constant presence in our lives. Help us to stay focused on You as you guide and strengthen us through the midst of life’s storms and during the calm days, too.
Do you desire “tunnel vision” for Jesus but have never asked for His saving grace in your life? If so, give your life to Christ and have a personal relationship with Jesus as your Savior. You can do this right now by accepting God’s gift of forgiveness from sin. Simply say this prayer: “Dear Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. I ask for your forgiveness. I know that You died of the cross to forgive my sins. I know that You rose from the dead to conquer death for me so I can live with You forever. I receive You into my heart and life.” If you have received Jesus as your Savior, please contact Pastor Dan at dan@cascadiachurch.org for free information to help guide you in your new life with Jesus.