"Behold!"

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God....Beloved now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him:  for we shall see Him as He is.  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as He is pure."  

- 1 John 2:1-3

"Behold" - Dictionary definition:  "To perceive through sight or apprehension:  to see, or to gaze upon:  observe."

As I meditated on these verses this morning in my devotions, something hit me - not a new thought necessarily - we become what we look at!  Why does the apostle John say we will be like God when He appears?  Because we will see Him as He is - we will see him face to face!  Looking is what transforms us!  We don't know yet what type of people exactly we are going to be, we only know that we are going to be like Jesus.  Do we wait till we are going to be changed at Christ second coming?  No!  We start now to behold Christ, and to purify our hearts by "obeying the truth"  (1 Peter 1:22).

One of my favorite examples of beholding Christ face to face is Moses.  "And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto His friend...."  Exodus 33:11.  The Bible also says that "The man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth."  Numbers 12:3.

Another example we have is that of King David.  He was called a man after God's own heart.  In the Psalms he writes "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,..."  Yes, of course all of us are looking forward to Heaven, to wearing robes, and crowns, to being there with all our loved ones, and most importantly to be with Jesus.  But why was David so anxious to be in the house of the Lord?  "To behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple."  (Psalm 27:4).  Seeing Jesus was so important to David!  Could this be one of the reasons that He was called a man after God's own heart?  Because He focused on Jesus?  He behold Him, and meditated in His Word?

One of the biggest challenges I face is that of being tempted to compare myself with others.  As a teenager I remember trying to make a "model" for myself - the ideal me - based on things I found in different people that I admired.  From peers who had high academic scores, those who were very musical, to strong spiritual leaders, and soft-spoken compassionate ladies.  I am reminded of the hall of fame in Hebrews chapter eleven.  After speaking of all those who had great faith, the author of Hebrews admonishes us to look "Unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith...."  Hebrews 12:2  No matter how good our role models may (or may not) have been, our example is Jesus!  Jesus endured all things - even the death of the cross.   What are we willing to endure for His sake?

Our vision is something that Heaven has always been focused on healing.  We are in desperate need of seeing as God sees!  And seeing the Spiritual realities that are all around us!  "For our light afflictions, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen:  for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."  2 Corinthians 4:17-18.  When appearances look surmounting or difficult, do we look up to Jesus who says, "Your redemption draweth nigh"?  I am reminded of one of my favorite stories in the Bible.  When Elisha and his servant were surrounded by the chariots and horses of the enemy, Elisha told his servant:  " 'Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.'  And Elisha prayed, and said, 'Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.'  And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha."  2 Kings 6:16-17

Oh how I long for my eyes to be open!  May we each see our need of vision for "Where there is no vision the people perish..."  Proverbs 20:18.  May we each recognize our need and follow Christ's admonishment to the Laodiceans "and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see."  Revelation 3:18.  And may our ardent desire truly to be to behold Christ!

"As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness:  I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."  

- Psalm 17:15

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory , even as by the Spirit of the Lord."  

-  2 Corinthians 3:18