Daily Devotional

Thursday, August 19, 2010

“Blessed are the pure in heart,

  for they shall see God.

So, what does it mean to “see God”? First, to see God means to be admitted into His holy presence.  Second, seeing God means being awestruck by his amazing glory; to experience His holiness. After God confronted Job in the whirlwind, Job said, "I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees thee; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

Today, all of our spiritual sight comes through His word or through or through his earthly work. But there will come a day when God himself will dwell among us. His glory will no longer be inferred from lightning and mountains and roaring seas and constellations of stars. Instead our experience of him will be direct. His glory will be the very light in which we move (Revelation 21:23) and the beauty of his holiness will be tasted directly like honey on the tongue.

Finally, seeing God means being comforted by his grace. The Pslams repeatedly cry out for God’s comfort, and that He would not hide His face.  Psalm 27 (verses 7-9) David says, “Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! . . . Hide not thy face from me.”

"Be gracious to me!" This means that seeing the face of God is considered to be a sweet and comforting experience. If God shows his face, we are helped. If he turns his face away, we are dismayed.

So when Jesus promises the reward of "seeing God" there are at least these three things implied: we will be admitted to his presence, not just kept in the waiting room. We will be awestruck with a direct experience of his glory. And we will be helped and comforted by his grace.

Prayer:

Lord, be gracious to me! Thank you for providing a way for me to see you, Lord.