Beholding the Lord

Revelation 1: 12 – 17

And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle. And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire; and His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. And in His Right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, “Do not be afraid.”

I had an imagination one night upon my bed when trying, unsuccessfully, to sleep. I saw in my mind’s eye myself preaching before an audience. In my message I implored the congregation to look upon Jesus. I thought how easy this would be if they could really see Him. Then I saw me direct the people’s attention to my right. I held my arm out as if introducing someone who was offstage and then I asked Jesus to come be with us, to make himself seen.

Don’t you know that as soon as Jesus would show himself the message would be over? There would be no need to teach anything. Even as I looked upon this meditation of my own mind I saw us all fall out of our chairs in the awe of the Lord Jesus, the Christ, the anointed one. I knew in that moment as I lay upon my bed that the fullness of every message any of us could ever preach, teach or proclaim is held in the visage of Jesus. Were he to actually appear in our congregations this weekend, I believe our services would be radically altered. No matter what we were doing I believe we would all shift immediately and without thinking into praise and worship. And even as I saw this happening in my mind, my body wanted to get up and go preach the glory of the soon coming Lord. 

Seeing the Lord appear showed me that there is nothing we need outside of him. He really is our all in all. Were he to come to church Sunday I do not think we would bombard him with a thousand questions even though I think that I want to. In reality I because he is truth we would be so filled with his glory that there would be no need for questions. The truth you behold is the answer to every question. We would lock our eyes on him and give forth praise heartily. In his presence we are filled so that there is no need except for the compelling need to honor him and give him praise. And even as we sing out his praises and glorify his name the glory of his presence would fill us even more.

Then the significance of this meditation befell me. This rumination is a model for how we should live our lives now and how we should worship him as we gather in his name. He is the glorious Lord yet sometimes we all fall into a habit of worship rather than a sincere offering of praise. Our services, if we are not careful, become dry and barren with no more life than the fourth business meeting of the day. You just want to get out of there. But being in the presence of the Lord is the most wonderful and glorious thing of all. There is nothing better! Endeavor to enter into his presence and make it a habit to meditate on his greatness.