MEDITATIONS
FROM THE GOSPELS
April 30 , 2008 Reading: John 14:1-21
“But you will see Me” John
Oh, my soul, is this not the deepest
desire of your heart? Is it not that for which every born again soul longs? To
see Him who gave Himself for you in love and totality is the hope and assurance
of every waking moment. When you close your eyes to sleep, will you, perchance,
awaken in His presence to gaze on His face? This indeed is that which comforts
your soul and in-fills you with strength to continue and endure each moment
until that blessed day.
But what about
today?
Surely this promise of Jesus does not refer only to that future event when we
shall see Him face to face.
“And he who
loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love
him and manifest Myself to him” John
This is His promise and commitment to you
for today, for each and every day that you spend in this life. If you love Him
you will see Him. If you love Him you will keep His commandments—this is a
proof that you love Him. “He who has My commandments
and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.” ”This is love, that
we walk according to His commandments” 2 John 6.
Love Him and He will manifest Himself to
you. Keep His Word and you will see Him. He will not manifest Himself to you unless
you desire Him. His reward to you is that He will be seen of you. If He appears
to be hiding from you, search your heart for the fault lies within you not with
Him.
How wonderful it would be to join Peter
and John as they saw Jesus transfigured before them, when His face shone as the
sun, yet that would be but a passing glimpse—a memory, yet, nevertheless a
memory. My soul, you crave more than a memory, you crave that which is ongoing.
To enter His chamber, sit at His feet, lift up your eyes and behold His beauty
whenever and wherever your soul desires—this is His promise to you. The eye of
faith sees so much more than the physical eye. The eye of faith has neither
cataract nor diminishing sight for the one who loves Him with all their heart
and lives in accordance with His Word. Fellowship with and commitment to Jesus
is the best surgery to the eye of faith.
It is not that He has removed Himself
that you cannot see Him. He is there. It is your lack of love and disobedience
to His Word that shields Him from your sight. There is a sense in which we see
now as through a glass darkly for in this life we cannot behold Him in all His
glory, for no man can see God and live. Just as He will prepare us to see Him
when we enter eternity, so the Holy Spirit prepares us to see Him better in
this life as He sanctifies us and transforms us into His image.
"If anyone
loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will
love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not
love Me does not keep My words” John 14:23-24.
“O how I need
Thee to abide in me; for I have no natural eyes to see Thee; but I live by
faith in one whose face to me is brighter than a thousand suns… The Son breaks
out in glory when He shows Himself as one who outshines all creation, makes men
poor in spirit, and helps them to find their good in Him. Grant
that I may distrust myself to see my all in Thee” Puritan
Prayer.