Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!

“He Himself took our infirmities

And bore our sicknesses.”

Matthew 8:17 NKJV

Thank God, Jesus bore our sicknesses! From God’s perspective, we are legally healed. It is a finished work.

Now, if we’re healed, what do we do when symptoms of disease are raging in our bodies, shouting at us that we are not healed?

WE KEEP OUR EYES ON JESUS!

The Bible tells us that Jesus and the Word of God are one.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . .

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:1, 14 NKJV

The way we keep our eyes on Jesus is to keep our eyes on the Word of God. One of the best stories in the Bible to illustrate this is in Matthew.

Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 

Matthew 14:25-32 NKJV

Although this is a story about walking on water and not about receiving healing, the same principles apply.

1.     In the natural, it is impossible for a person to walk on water.

It is also impossible for some diseases to be healed medically.

2.     It was only possible to walk on water after Peter knew the will of the Lord.

It is also only possible to receive divine healing when we know the will of the Lord.

How did Peter know the will of God for walking on water? He had the Word of the Lord – “Come”. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”

Faith came to Peter through that one word and he stepped out of the boat because of it. How do we know the will of God concerning our healing? It comes from the Word of God, the Bible.

We began by quoting Matthew 8:17. That is just one verse. A pastor friend of ours did an exhaustive study over several years, searching out every healing scripture in the Bible from 430 translations. He ended up with 454 verses from the Bible on the subject of healing, conclusively proving that healing is the will of God for today. We definitely do not lack for words from God on the subject of healing.

When we hear those words of healing, faith comes. As long as we stay focused on what God says about our healing, we will receive our healing. However, even when we have the Word of the Lord, if we don’t stay focused on that Word, the raging storm will pull our attention away from it.

This is what happened to Peter. When he saw that the wind was boisterous, he became fearful and lost sight of the word “come” that he heard from the Lord. Fear is the opposite of faith and pulls our attention away from faith. That fear is what caused Peter to sink.

We can see that where our attention goes, our faith goes.

Fighting the good fight of faith is really fighting to keep our attention on the right thing.

My son, give attention to my words;

Incline your ear to my sayings.

Do not let them depart from your eyes;

Keep them in the midst of your heart;

For they are life to those who find them,

And health to all their flesh.

Proverbs 4:20-23 NKJV

These verses tell us we need to hear God’s Word, read God’s Word, say God’s Word, and act on God’s Word. When we keep our attention on God’s Word, we are keeping our attention on Jesus and it becomes medicine to all our flesh.

Although it may be challenging at times, we must keep our eyes off the raging symptoms and the negative reports.  Diligently fixing our eyes on the Word and Jesus helps us take our eyes off of the symptoms.

One of the best things you can do to keep your attention on the Lord is lift your hands and worship Him. Thank Him for being such a wonderful Healer. Worship Him because you ARE healed, not going to be.

Since it’s impossible to think two thoughts at the same time, when you worship the Lord out loud, you cannot be focused on your symptoms. If you continue to look to Jesus, your faith will hold you up, and you will find that your symptoms will disappear.

If you're in the Aurora/Naperville area and are looking for a church that teaches the uncompromising Word of God, we invite you to visit Abundant Life Family Church. As a Word and Spirit church, we are committed to helping believers grow in faith, experience the power of God, and walk in His promises. Our services are filled with dynamic worship, Bible-based teaching, and an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit moves. Whether you’re searching for a church home or seeking a deeper relationship with God, we welcome you to join us and be part of a thriving community of faith!