ISAIAH 33:17 –  Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty; they will see a land that stretches afar.”

Just sit back and forget all that is weighing us down in life.  Take a moment to release challenging circumstances, tough situations, draining relationships, fears, and anxieties, and anything else that darkens your heart.   Now with a clear mind and open heart, get lost in the staggering truth of today’s scripture – seeing the Lord Jesus face-to-face.

This experience of seeing the Lord Jesus, an experience the Apostle John had and writes of in both his gospel and first letter, will become our experience too – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14);  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1-3).

Today’s scripture captures the height of seeing Jesus.  It is the soul-satisfying and heart-humbling reality of the holy beauty of the Lord Jesus engulfing our entire being.  And here is an amazing truth that intensifies our desire to behold His beauty – Jesus longs for us to see Him, particularly, His glory which is the essence of His entire Person – Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world (John 17:24).  In a real way, seeing Jesus with His desire for our presence, will be the ultimate of reunions.  What we know now by faith in part will become unhindered sight and be our privilege for all eternity.

What begs the question for us is . . . “Is our great passion in life for the day of being with and seeing Jesus?”  There is something that is transformational about this passion.  The Apostle John would describe this transformation in the opening of the third chapter of his first letter – See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure (1 John 3:1-3). The transformation is becoming more and more like the One we will soon see – the Lord Jesus.

John defines the process of spiritual growth, and it might not be what we think.  It will not be by great spiritual resolve, discipline, and self-denial.  As important as those are, our spiritual development occurs by learning to see the Lord Jesus in scripture by faith that intensifies our passion to exchange faith in Him for sight of Him.  Maybe we need to rethink what is the fundamental truth about discipleship.  Maybe we need to let the Lord refine, even redefine, it for us to align more with how He defines it – a passion for Him.

PRAYER: “Father, what a joy it will be to change faith in Jesus for sight of Jesus. Thank You!”

QUOTE: “Think often of seeing the Lord Jesus, not to be delivered from this world, be to behold His beauty.”