Lyrics: Helen H. Lemmel, 1922.
Alternate Title: The Heavenly Vision

Music: Helen H. Lemmel, 1922.

Theme: Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2.

O soul are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Saviour,
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.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion –
For more than conquerors we are!

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.

I was a bit surprised to find this hymn/gospel tune on the list. Not that it is unfamiiar, I’ve heard it all my life, and I think it has a great message. I just didn’t know that it was all that well-known. As it turns out in addition to the Alan Jackson countrified version above, Amy Grant, Hillsong, Newsboys, Michael W. Smith, Cynthia Clawson and many others have recorded this song.

The composer and author of the hymn, Helen Lemmel, was the daughter of a Methodist pastor. From a gospel tract called Focused by Lilias Trotter, a missionary to the Muslims of Algeria, Ms. Lemmel heard the words, “So then, turn your eyes upon Him, look full into His face and you will find that the things of earth will acquire a strange new dimness.”

As she meditated on those words, Ms. Lemmel said: “Suddenly, as if commanded to stop and listen, I stood still, and singing in my soul and spirit was the chorus, with not one conscious moment of putting word to word to make rhyme, or note to note to make melody. The verses were written the same week, after the usual manner of composition, but nonetheless dictated by the Holy Spirit.”

Helen Lemmel wrote more than 500 other hymns, but this one has endured.

Sources:
Our Favorite Hymns: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.
Wikipedia: Lilias Trotter.