Composer: Helen Howarth Lemmel
1. 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!
Refrain:
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.
2. Thro' death into life everlasting,
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion--
For more than conqu’rors we are!
3. 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!
Story behind the song
Lilias Trotter, a talented artist from London, sacrificed her promising career to answer God's call to reach out to the lost, both in London and in Algeria. Despite facing rejection and lack of support, she followed her calling to Africa, where she lived among the locals in the desert for forty years. During this time, she wrote a poem that inspired the song "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus." The poem titled "Focused: A Story and a Song" emphasizes the importance of focusing our lives on Christ to experience transformation and blessings. Lilias encourages readers to narrow their focus on Christ, allowing God's power to flow through them. By directing our souls' vision fully towards Jesus, we can be drawn closer to Him, recognizing His worthiness of our entire hearts.