“And He said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to aother, What manner of man is this! for He commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey Him?” Luke 8:25
It is one thing to “believe in God.” It is quite another, in the midst of the storms of life and circumstances, to resolutely set one’s gaze upon Him and Him alone, refusing to be dominated by anything or anyone else. It was Stephen, who facing the “gnashing of the teeth,” or the hatred, of the Sanhedrin, being filled with the Spirit, “…looked STEDFASTLY into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:55) Stephen’s faith was centered, even fixed on God, specifically the Lord Jesus, in His power and authority. Though Stephen’s enemies would rush upon him, cast him out of the city to stone him, this Spirit-filled man was still calling upon God, and praying for those who sought to kill him. With gaze still fixed upon the Lord Jesus, and with the plea for pardon on his lips, this man overcame them all, falling asleep in Jesus.
It was David who wrote in Psalm 16, “I have SET the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” When Abraham was called upon to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, he was not looking at, or to, anyone else on earth but to God. When David was running to face Goliah, defying the odds of survival, and certainly being victorious, he was not looking at his earthly king, family, and friends. His hope and expectation was in one place, in Christ, the Heavenly King, who had called him.
When Peter was commanded by Christ to step out of the boat upon the waves of a raging sea, Peter did so with eyes fixed on Christ. As long as they were in that place, the miracle of walking on water was realized. It would be when the eyes were no longer fixed on Christ, that fear would replace faith, and the miracle would cease. It was during the reign of Joash, king of Israel, that Elisha was approaching the moment of his death. Joash came to Elisha, as Israel’s enemies were pressing hard upon them. With Elisha’s hands upon the king’s hands, firmly gripping his bow, Elisha told him what to do and what to expect. Upon shooting the arrow according to Elisha’s word, the promise of God to the king was: “The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.” (2 Kings 13:17) With eyes apparently not fixed wholly upon God, but upon the circumstances surrounding him, the king obeyed the prophet only partially, and reaped as a result only partial victory over his enemies.
Why is this matter of fixing one’s eyes, hope, and expectation upon Christ, so important? It is the form of real faith that Christ desires, and that which He responds to. It is that which pleases Him, and which He will reward, in the will of God and for His glory. How then can one come to this place in his faith, so that with eyes fixed solely upon Jesus, he may not only run the race, but keep the faith, and overcome all obstacles, to see Christ’s kingdom come, and His will be done?
When Satan came to Jesus, tempting Him in the wilderness, he centered his attack on the matter of worship. The Lord would clearly rebuke him, declaring: “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” (Luke 4:8) True worship by the Spirit of God, according to the truth, is essential to fixing one’s eyes on Jesus. That which we see of Christ, as revealed to us by the Spirit in daily worship, is that which will become real to us. The vision, or perception of Christ, not only becomes vivid and real, but strengthening and empowering. Beholding Christ we are changed into His image.
Dear Father, Give us stedfast faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.