Today's post was inspired in part by a recent sermon from my pastor. While preaching about the glorious joys of heaven, he said that one of those joys will be finally seeing the face of Christ. Instantly I was reminded of our wedding day.
We decided not to see one another before the wedding--nothing superstitious or traditional, just our choice. But that made the morning difficult! We still wanted to pray together, and as I waited in a room for him to come to the other side of the door, I caught a glimpse of his shoulder in a mirror.
Excitedly, I told a lady who was with me, “I saw him!” And then we talked and prayed without seeing each others’ faces, and returned to our waiting-places.
How excited is the Christian to see even a glimpse of our Beloved’s shoulder! The time has not yet come to see His face, but we can talk to Him and hear His voice, as if behind a door.
Finally, walking down the aisle with my father, I beheld my bridegroom’s face. That sight was wonderful—words cannot describe it! There he was, face beaming, teary at the sight of me, as excited as I, love streaming from his eyes.
What’s glorious is that Christ longs to see us in the same way! “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given to me, be with me where I am.”
The glow on my beloved’s face is a mere shadow compared to the glow on the face of Christ, when His bride and He are joined forever at the wedding feast of the Lamb. On that sunny Saturday in May, I longed eagerly to see my beloved’s face; but how much more joy will I feel when I see the face of my Beloved!
What also came to mind was these words from Ann Ross Cousin, based on the dying words of Samuel Rutherford:
The bride eyes not her garment,
But her dear bridegroom's face;
I will not gaze at glory
But on my King of Grace.
Having spent many an hour searching for a dress and half a morning trying some on, I certainly gave my dress a lot of attention before the wedding! But when I saw my bridegroom's face, do you think I was looking down at my dress? That wasn't even a thought. No one else in the room even mattered. I could not take my eyes off him once they found him! I believe we will feel this way when we reach heaven: the Bridegroom will consume all our attention.
Photography Credit: http://www.rachelleighphoto.com/
