Set Your Eyes Upon Him

 Set Your Eyes Upon Him

This week, I came across a Facebook reel by a woman I did not know. She looked and sounded like a kind grandmother. She briefly described one of her favorite Bible passages from 2 Chronicles, where King Jehoshaphat faced one of the most difficult moments of his reign: a battle against three neighboring nations.

As she narrated this incredible moment in Judah’s history, she described a scene that I could easily relate to. Jehoshaphat looked to God as a child looks to his father when he is in need. 

We can all remember moments from childhood when we faced something that seemed too difficult to handle on our own. Our eyes instinctively searched for the familiar face of a parent, and somehow, we knew everything would be okay. From our earliest years, we learned that our relationship with our parents meant security and comfort in times of need.

So, we called them—for anything and everything. We did not care what others might say or think. We trusted that Mom or Dad would be there for us, even to answer our silly questions or admire our childish drawings. We relied on them completely.

And then, in the cycle of life, we become parents ourselves. We wait for our children to look to us as we once looked to our parents. We want to be the place of love and security they can turn to, while also watching them grow strong, confident, and capable of facing life's challenges.

As parents, we pursue a relationship close enough for our children to know they can come to us at any time, regardless of the circumstances. Yet, at the same time, we want them to grow, become independent, and learn to face life with confidence.

Jehoshaphat knew that the battle before him was too great. He did not know what to do, but he knew where to look and whom to call.

He set his eyes on God, not on his circumstances.

As Esther Emma Walker described it, he was “like a little child standing, looking up to his daddy.” Jehoshaphat did not pretend to have all the answers. He simply cried out for help.

And God answered.

What a beautiful picture of the relationship our heavenly Father desires to have with His children. God does not expect us to face every battle alone. He invites us to come to Him, just as a child runs to a loving father.

There is no struggle too small for us to bring to Him and no battle too great for Him to fight. We may not know what to do, but we can always know where to look.

Set your eyes upon Him.

“Thus says the Lord to you: Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

2 Chronicles 20:15 

Esther Walker: The Remedy for Worry

Remember All

There is a saying that the older we get, the wiser we become. What people often fail to mention, however, is that our minds can also become less sharp. We forget where we placed things, the names of people we once knew, and sometimes even what we were about to say. We grow older, yet our minds can fail us when we need them most. 

However, there is another kind of forgetfulness that can be even more dangerous. It happens when we achieve the things we once desired: a better job, a promotion, the house of our dreams, or a trip to a place we always wanted to visit. At first, we are grateful and excited. But over time, those blessings become ordinary, and eventually, we forget how much we once longed for them. Instead of remembering what we have, our minds begin to focus on what we do not have, and dissatisfaction takes root in our hearts.

King David experienced such a moment in his life, and it had serious consequences for both him and his family. Before becoming king, David was a young shepherd who cared for his father's sheep and desired to do God's will. Throughout his life, he experienced God's powerful hand leading him—from the fields to the throne, from battles to victories, and eventually to becoming a powerful ruler.

But after some time, David became idle, and his heart chose to follow his own desires rather than God's will. He committed adultery and murder, and God sent the prophet Nathan to confront him through a parable.

David's first reaction was anger toward the rich man in the story who had taken the only lamb of a poor man. Yet he did not realize that the story was about him until Nathan declared, "You are the man!"

Nathan reminded David of all that God had given him: the throne, the kingdom, victories over his enemies, and so much more. God had blessed David abundantly, yet David chose to do evil in His sight. How terrible it is when we forget the goodness of God and allow our hearts to become consumed with what we still desire.

There is security and peace in learning to be content with what we have. God calls us to be thankful, but to remain thankful, we must intentionally remind ourselves of His blessings.

David eventually learned this lesson and wrote:

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits."
Psalm 103:2

Let us remind ourselves daily of all God's benefits—first and foremost, the gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior, and everything we have received through Him. Everything else we receive is an added blessing.

Do not forget what God has done for you.