As I was walking the other day, I found myself looking down at the sidewalk rather than looking at what was ahead of me. I think I do that because at this stage of my life I am not very steady. Along with the auto-immune diseases I have acquired a wobble! I look at the ground to make sure I will not fall.
That is not, however, a very pleasant or inspiring walk. I need to look up, to focus on what is ahead of me. As I walked, whenever I realized I was looking down again, I would determine to lift my head and see the goal ahead.
As I walked the words, “set His face,” came to mind. That phrase is found in Luke 9:51. “When the days were coming to a close for Him to be taken up, He determined [set or stiffened His face] to journey to Jerusalem.” [HCSB]
A short while before that, Jesus warned and instructed His disciples of what He would find in Jerusalem. He told them that He must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and then be raised the third day. [Luke 9:22]
Yet, even knowing all that was ahead, Jesus set His face. He determined to journey to Jerusalem. His eyes were fixed on the goal.
Often, we need to lift our own eyes to the goal God has set. We need to set our face to complete the journey and must not allow the unpleasant or disagreeable things that might stand in the way discourage or stop us.
