Friday, March 8, 2013

Just A Glimpse




Early this morning as I looked out the kitchen window, I saw just a glimpse of sunshine hitting the very tiptop’s of the trees down past our old barn.  It was so pretty I just had to get my camera and capture the scene.  I thought to myself, “Here’s just a glimpse of the beautiful sunny day that is to come!” And that made me feel excited and happy.

Now several hours later the sunshine is everywhere you look.  I went back outside just now (for only a very few minutes because although the sun is beating down, the temperature is still only thirty-eight degrees) and took another picture of the full face of the sun.  I could not look directly at Mr. Sun because he was so bright!  So I just closed my eyes, held my camera up to the sky and snapped the picture.  Even the camera could not capture the full intensity of the sunshine.  It’s just too much!



All this reminded me of heaven and the fact that we only have just a glimpse now of what awaits us in heaven as children of God.

We can get just a glimpse of what is being prepared for Christians at this very moment when we read the words of Jesus in John 14:1-3….”Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

What an exciting thing this is! Jesus said here that He is preparing a place for us in heaven so that we can be forever with Him!  That’s where I want to be!

Jesus Christ gives us a further glimpse of heaven in Revelation 21:21-23…..”And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”

No need of temples or churches in heaven because the “Lord God Almighty and the Lamb (Jesus) are the temple of it”.  And no need of any kind of lights, either natural or artificial, because Jesus Christ our Lord will be the Light!

Do you remember in the Old Testament how God told Moses that he could get in the cleft of a rock and watch as He passed by? But God told Moses (Exodus 33:20), “Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.”  God is too bright, too majestic, for us to look in His face with our human bodies!  Even the sun that heats our planet earth is too bright for us to look full in its face without leaving our vision impaired or even blinded.  And this sun is just something that God spoke and it came into being during creation week!  Our frail minds cannot even imagine the brightness of our God.

As I look at 1 Corinthians 13:12 (For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.), it makes me think about watching my husband when he welds.  He has a special welding mask that has a very dark thick glass front that protects his eyes from being burned while looking at the brightness of the light that comes from welding.  Without it, the light would blind him.  1 Corinthians 13:12 tells us that right now it’s like we are looking at God through a welding mask (through a glass, darkly).  We can see him through just a glimpse we get in the Word but, Oh, what  a day that will be when we can see Him FACE to FACE!

Friend, do you have your reservation made for this unimaginably wonderful destination?  It’s already been paid for by the death of God’s only begotten son, Jesus Christ!  We can’t even imagine how great it will be!  1 Corinthians 2:9 says “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

God bless you friends! Thanks for taking time to share “just a glimpse” of heaven with me today!

Marilyn

7 comments:

Martha Greer said...

This is great, Marilyn. Just the thing to start off a great day. I sit and watch the birds at my feeded and wonder at the beauty of them and know that God takes care of them as He does us. It is a wonder thing that we have a Father that loves us that much and will be welcoming us home before long. What a day that will be!! Martha Greer

elaine@ peace for the journey said...

Reading this today, I was reminded of some pictures I took back in 2008 and posted on the blog - similar shots of clouds/sunshine and the brilliance therein. In the photos, there seemed to be some shadows/coloring not visible to the naked eye. It really encouraged me heart to consider Who lives on the other side of the veil.

I long for the day when I no longer see through a glass dimly but instead see face-to-Face!

peace~elaine

Anonymous said...

Absolutely wonderful. So glad to be related to you by birth and by our Lord Jesus Christ. Be Blessed!Cathy Moore Johnson

Natalie Monk said...

Received a blessing from your post today, Mrs. Marilyn! God Bless!

Martha said...

How exciting. I forget to be excited sometimes, God is so Great it is hard to comprehend. Thanks for always uplifting me with your blog. Love you. M.

Leah Adams said...

My reservations are made, and quite frankly, I'm pretty eager to see my new heavenly home. The older I get, the more eager I am.

Jill Beran said...

I'm not too good at making reservations but grateful this is one thing I have done!! Also grateful to visit your blog again...spent sometime going thru old posts and comments; always good to reflect on what God has done and said. An extra blessing to visit some friends from the past as well! Hope and pray all is well with you!