Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus was originally penned in 1918 by Helen Howarth Lemmel. Lemmel was born in England, and on her 12th birthday, her family migrated to America. A very gifted vocalist, and daughter of a Methodist preacher, Lemmel began traveling to churches and singing. Through an array of different circumstance, Lemmel moved to Germany when she was 40 and married a wealthy European. During this time she experienced great success in both her religious venues and secular ones, stunning audiences with her unique voice.
As her career began to climb, calamity struck. Diagnosed with an illness, some historians say that Lemmel became blind. Unable to cope with his wife’s sudden life-changing diagnosis, Lemmel’s husband left her. Imagine the pain of that. Giving your life to God’s work, God’s people. Diagnosed with a life-changing illness, and then your husband leaves you because he can’t cope with the reality of what the future holds.
I find it hard to believe that these words, at least in part, are not written from the depths of Lemmel’s soul. The part where the sadness, confusion, and emptiness meet and leave a void unfillable by anything—anything other than Jesus.
When your soul is troubled. When you are in a darkness. When sin seems to engulf. When hope is hard to find. When you feel too weak for God to love you. When your husband leaves you. When your kid dies. When your family member gets cancer. When you get fired. When your daughter walks away from the faith. When you feel empty.
Where do you go? Where do we look? What holds us? Jesus alone. When everything else seems lacking, look to Jesus. Get your eyes off of yourself, off your circumstances, and look into the face of Jesus. For there, “ the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace”
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There's light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free
Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there
O'er us sin no more hath dominion
For more than conquerors we are
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
Oh, His grace
His Word shall not fail you, He promised
Believe Him and all will be well
Then go to a world that is dying
His perfect salvation to tell
Oh, tell
