Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

A peer of mine in college was doing a fast during lent.  At this point I can't remember if he was fasting from all food or just specific foods.  What I do remember is the rubber band he wore on his wrist.  When he would get a craving for food, he would snap the rubber band on his wrist in order to remind him of what he was doing and to avoid the temptation of food.  I remember sitting at a cafeteria table with him, watching him repeatedly snap the rubber ban on his wrist, and wondering why he didn't just avoid the cafeteria...but it was the social hub of the school.  Anywho, I'm sure you may have come across something like this at one point in time or another.  I actually read somewhere that it is scientifically proven to help those struggling with addictions.

Numbers 15:38-40 - 38 Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.  39 It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, 40 so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God.

These tassels, these cords of blue, were very much like my colleagues rubber band.  They were a visual reminder to obey God's commands and to avoid sin (Henry).  I found the significance of the color blue to be very interesting.  Yes, it made the cord more observable, for the fringe without the blue was the same color as the rest of the garment (Wesley).  But you see, blue was the heavenly color.  Therefore, it "signified that the servants of God were to be heavenly in obedience and character, and separate from earthly ambition and desires" (Scofield).  

As I was reflecting on today's study, I kept thinking to myself, "Man, I really wish I had a blue tassel to see everyday - I could put it on my purse, or maybe my key ring...it would be such a helpful device to keep me from sinning."  But then I realized, we already have that - we have access to the power of Christ every single day to help keep us from sin!  "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" came to mind with a whole new understanding.  Our own hearts, our own souls deceive us at times but we must learn to turn our eyes upon Jesus so that we do not stumble into sin but, rather, obey His commands in our every action, our every thought, our everything.

Turn you 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