September 11 - One Day I Will See Jesus

by Connie Hale Duncan

"Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You." — Psalm 73:25

Today my thoughts drifted to Mary.

I wondered what it must have been like to kneel before Jesus and wash His feet.

Not simply the feet of a teacher...
 Not merely the feet of a prophet...
 But the feet of God Himself.

The very hands that formed the stars gently touched the earth as He walked the dusty roads of Galilee. Those feet carried Him to the sick, the broken, the lonely, and finally to the cross.

Mary's trembling hands touched the flesh of the Creator of the universe.

What must that have felt like?

Did her heart race as tears fell upon His feet? Did she realize she was touching the One who had spoken the worlds into existence? The One who knew every secret of her heart and yet loved her completely?

Then my thoughts wandered even further.

What was it like to look into the eyes of Jesus?

The Gospels never tell us the color of His eyes, but they tell us what people saw when He looked at them.

The guilty found forgiveness.

The fearful found courage.

The grieving found comfort.

The lost found hope.

His eyes must have been filled with a love unlike anything this world has ever known.

Then I wondered about His voice.

Was it deep and strong when He calmed the storm?

Was it gentle when He spoke to little children?

Was it tender when He said, "Your sins are forgiven"?

Was it filled with compassion when He called Mary by her name outside the empty tomb?

Whatever His voice sounded like, people left their fishing nets to follow Him. Demons fled at His command. The wind and the waves obeyed Him. Yet children were never afraid to run into His arms.

His voice carried both infinite authority and perfect love.

As I sat quietly thinking about these things, another thought filled my heart.

One day...

I will see Him.

I was not among those who walked beside Him in Galilee.

I was not there to wash His feet.

I never heard His earthly voice.

Those precious moments belonged to the chosen few.

But God has promised something even more wonderful.

One day I will stand before Jesus.

The book of Revelation tells us that His eyes are like blazing fire (Revelation 1:14). Those eyes will see every part of me—not to condemn me, but because nothing can be hidden from perfect holiness and perfect love.

His gaze will penetrate every remaining flaw, every fear, every regret, every weakness that clung to me in this earthly life.

Everything that sin has damaged will finally be gone.

I wonder what that moment will feel like.

The Bible tells us that "God is love" (1 John 4:8).

Imagine standing in the very presence of Love Himself.

No fear.

No shame.

No loneliness.

No disappointment.

Only perfect love surrounding me like light brighter than the sun.

I cannot fully imagine what it will be like to be embraced by the One who loved me before I was born... the One who carried me through every joy and every sorrow... the One who never stopped pursuing my heart.

Perhaps the greatest surprise of heaven will not be the streets of gold or the gates of pearl.

It will be Jesus.

Just Jesus.

To hear His voice speaking my name.

To see His face.

To know that every promise was true.

To realize that I will never again have to say goodbye.

Sometimes I find myself longing for that day more than I can express.

Not because I want to escape this life, but because I want to see the One who gave His life for me.

Faith will become sight.

Hope will become reality.

And love will never end.

Until that day comes, I will continue to follow Him by faith, knowing that every step brings me closer to the moment when I will finally see the face of my Savior.

Then I will understand what words can never describe.

I will see Jesus.

And I will be home.

Prayer

Lord Jesus,

Thank You for giving me a hope that reaches beyond this world. Though I have never touched Your hands or heard Your earthly voice, I know You are with me every day.

Keep my heart longing for You above everything else. Help me live faithfully until the day faith becomes sight. I look forward to the moment when I will see Your face, hear You call my name, and know the fullness of Your perfect love forever.

Until that glorious day, keep my eyes fixed on You.

In the precious name of Jesus,

Amen.

Our song for today is He Loves Me by Chris Tomlin.