Fix Your Eyes on Jesus
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There are moments and seasons in life where it feels like we are living in a long almost constant storm.
Worries, disappointments, fears heavy burdens are daily experiences.
In the eye of the storm we can lose so much hope that it seems like death is inevitable.
The death of our dreams and hopes. The death of our marriage.
But there is hope in every storm.
In a storm Peter experienced an amazing miracle and in this miracle we learn a great deal about how to overcome life's storms:
24 but the boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.
26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately he spoke to them, saying, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water.”
29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus;
30 but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?”
32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
The key to surviving storms is to keep your eyes firmly fixed on the only one who has power to both miraculously empower you to walk on the stormy waters or to silence and still the storm: Jesus.
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ is how we make it through the storms.
We walk by faith and not by sight.
Can i get an Amen?
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How does this truth, if firmly believed in our hearts, manifests itself and play out in the real world?
I want to preach today about a remarkable woman of incredible faith.
Without a doubt one of the great OT heroes, whose humble prayer may have indeed saved the whole nation.
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Her name was Hannah.
Hannah was the wife of a man names Elkanah.
He was a devoted man, but also not a very… fair man.
Ill explain:
Hannah turned out to be barren, and maybe because Abraham gave a poor example of what to do, Elkanah took a second wife.
Her name was Peninnah.
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Life is not fair to Hannah.
She has been to devoted wife and her Barrenness is not her fault.
Her husband does love her, but he is also very little comfort in this storm.
Look at this:
Her barrenness broke her heart and as expected she is really struggling.
Her husband comes to comfort her with what he believes to be reassuring words but in fact they just add to her pain.
Do you know what he said to her?
8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
I want you to see the unfairness and pain of this woman's storm.
When her husband is upset that he cant have children Hannah is clearly not enough and so he marries another woman.
But when Hannah herself is upset that she cant have children He asks her “I am not good enough”?
Like, what?
Her storm is to be treated, not abusively, but unfairly and insultingly within her marriage.
Then the other woman Peninnah, she could be kind, she could be gracious - instead - She was not a good person.
The bible describes her:
6 And her rival used to provoke her sorely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.
7 So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.
She is mocked, provoked and insulted in jealously year after year after year.
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How is Hannah’s faith being manifested?
Despite all of this she never retaliates, she does not complain like Sarah did with Hager nor does she make life for her husband difficult.
Unknowingly she is modeling her grace after Jesus Himself of which scripture says:
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
Hannah had a choice:
Where was she going to fix her eyes?
This really matters because where you look, where you fix your eyes determines where you go.
If she fixed her eyes on the unfairness of life it would led her nihilistic atheism.
If she fixed her eyes on the terrible treatment of her husband it would lead her to the divorce courts.
If she fixed her eyes on the other woman it would lead her to resentment and bitterness.
So where was she looking and where did it lead her?
9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord.
10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly.
Hannah knew that only God could still the storm or give her the strength to walk on the storm so she displays her faith by going before God in prayer.
Her faith is great Amen? Yet even now you don't know HOW great.
She goes to the temple to find hope, to find peace to find strength, to find a moment of shelter from the unfairness and life.
To rest from the poor treatment of her husband.
To rest from the terrible treatment she receives from her rival.
And she prays to God:
11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy maidservant, and remember me, and not forget thy maidservant, but wilt give to thy maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth.
Who is Eli?
Eli is Judge and the highest ranking spiritual leadership in the whole land.
The senior pastor as it were.
He is sitting there watching this woman pray and he notes her mouth.
Why?
13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard; therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman.
What does Eli conclude when he sees this heart broken woman in prayer?
13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard; therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman.
Eli then approaches her and you wont believe what he says to this poor woman:
14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunken? Put away your wine from you.”
Satan will use anyone and anything to get you to take your eyes off Jesus.
In this moment Hannah really is in the eye of her storm.
She looks at Eli and explains to him that she is not drunk.
15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman sorely troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.
16 Do not regard your maidservant as a base woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.”
Eli offers no apology.
Nothing.
But he does speak to her:
17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have made to him.”
I am forced to wonder: What weight, what meaning did these words carry?
He just accused this woman of drunkenness. He just told her put away the wine!
This btw coming from a man who himself could put away the food!
18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.
My friends if i am am in such pain and a man who should know better then starts insulting me, does not apologies and tells me “Go in peace”.
The only peace i will be thinking about is which piece of his face I’m gonna lay 5 fold ministry hands on.
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This is it.
This is the moment.
And in this moment Hannah humbles me.
Her faith inspires me.
I am looking at the arrogance, the rudeness, the insensitivity, the hypocrisy of Eli.
What is Hannah looking at? How does she respond?
18 And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her countenance was no longer sad.
Hannah received peace, hope and comfort.
Her sadness no longer overwhelmed her.
She went back home to all that unfairness in peace.
Why?
Because of Eli’s care and concern?
No, because she had her eyes fixed on Jesus and she received by faith the true words even spoken through the mouth of a man like Eli.
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A blessing is a blessing whether is comes through the mouth of the divine or through the mouth of a donkey.
Fixing your eyes on Jesus means that you can receive grace, blessings, strength from God, no matter what broken instrument He chooses to dispense it.
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I want this kind of faith.
I want a faith that strengthens me not to become hopeless.
I want a kind of faith that strengthens me not to become angry and frustrated.
I want a kind of faith that strengths me to turn the other cheek and not become bitter and resentful
I want this kind of faith that can hear blessings and receive peace even though broken mouths that hurt me.
Don’t fix your eyes on the barreness.
Don’t fix your eyes on the injustice.
Don’t fix your eyes on your enemies.
Don’t fix your eyes on broken people.
Fix your eyes on Jesus!
