Wow – it’s hard to believe we’re in the year 2020! If you know me at all, you know that I’m weird in certain ways and 2020 evokes a couple of quick thoughts. First of all, a little superficial rhyme, I told my son the other day (from a Spiritual perspective of course) “Good and plenty in twenty, twenty.”

He rolled his eyes.

The other little thought was more of a prayer, “Lord, grant me 2020 vision from a Spiritual perspective.” I pray that I’d keep my eyes on Jesus all year long. This is what the author of Hebrews told us to do. We read in Hebrews 12:2, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  The Greek word translated “looking” (aphorao) literally means to “turn the eyes away from other things and fix them on something else.” In this case, someone else – we are to turn away from all others, and fix our eyes on Jesus…that “2020” vision sure helps when things get tough.

According to this passage, Jesus endured the cross because He never lost sight of the joy that was before Him. What do you think that “joy” was? I believe that joy was reconciliation with the Father, and the salvation of the church. He was able to “see” you and me, free and forgiven, in heaven – with Him, forever. If we look to Jesus, we’ll find that in one one sense, He’s looking to us.

Friend, I pray that 2020 is a Happy New Year for you, but you know as well as I do that it will have its unfair share of challenges and heartaches. May we remember, the only way we’ll make it through with a smile on our face, or better yet, joy in our hearts, is if our Spiritual vision is 2020 – if we keep our eyes on Jesus.