Today's reading

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. –Hebrews 12:2 NIV

July 21, 2020

Turn Your Eyes

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. –Hebrews 12:2 NIV

A beautiful painting was hanging in an art gallery. Everyone who saw it was mesmerized by its beauty. However, there was one man who couldn’t see the beauty of the painting or the talent of the painter. All he could see was the minuscule flaw in the frame that surrounded the painting. The flaw was so small that the average person wouldn’t have even noticed it, but to the man it overshadowed everything. He totally missed the intended joy from the art because of his singular focus on that flaw.In life, we also often miss what was intended to bring us joy because we focus on the wrong thing. When we fixate on what’s wrong and ignore what’s right, we miss so much. Problems come and go, but in between, there are nuggets of truth sent to bring us closer to the Father.Experiences in life usually have elements of beauty or redemption. So why let the imperfections we encounter take our minds off what really matters? When we see everything framed in the beauty of the Father’s love, it overshadows all imperfections. When we put our focus on Him and His will being done, the journey becomes sweeter. Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus.

prayer focuses

In the midst of a problem, ask God to help you look for hidden beauty in the situation.

Life isn’t perfect, but it is beautiful when your focus is in the right place. Father, please help me to change my focus, which will in turn change my life.

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about the

Author

Brenda Beattie

Brenda Beattie is a retired letter carrier and an active Chaplain for the USPS. She and her husband retired to Bradenton because they loved their church, Bayside Community Church. She has self-published two books, "Finding Sacred Ground In The Daily Grind," and "The Case Of The Missing Letter." She is also a repeat author for "Chicken Soup For The Soul." Her articles appear monthly in the "Mountaineer," a postal publication. Her hearts desire is to encourage and to give hope.