December 10
Gazing Forever on Christ
So we will always be with the Lord. - 1 Thessalonians 4:17
Even the sweetest glimpses of Christ are short-how transitory they are! One moment our eyes see Him, and we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; but then the moment passes and we do not see Him, for our beloved withdraws Himself from us. Like a roe or a young hare He leaps over the mountains of division; He is gone to the land of spices and no longer feeds among the lilies.
If today He deigns to bless us
With a sense of pardoned sin,
He tomorrow may distress us,
Make us feel the plague within.
How sweet the prospect of the time when we will no longer see Him from a distance but rather face to face-when He will not be like a traveler staying only for a night but will enfold us in the bosom of His eternal glory. We will not see Him for a little while, but
Millions of years our wondering eyes,
Shall o'er our Savior's beauties rove;
And myriad ages we'll adore,
The wonders of His love.
In heaven we will not be interrupted by care or sins; no weeping will dim our eyes; no earthly business will distract our happy thoughts. We will have nothing to prevent us from gazing forever on the Sun of Righteousness with tireless eyes. If it is so sweet to see Him now and then, how wonderful to gaze on that blessed face forever, and without a cloud rolling between, and never have to turn one's eyes away to look on a tired and sinful world. When will this blessed day dawn? Rise, unsetting sun! If to die is to enter into uninterrupted communion with Jesus, then death is swallowed up in a sea of victory and is definitely gain.
Family Bible reading plan
verse 1 2 Chronicles 10
verse 2 Revelation 1
Rescuing Christmas – The Search For Joy That Lasts
By Carl Laferton
For many, Christmas is not a season of lasting joy. For some, it's a reminder of loss. For others, the day escapes quickly leaving feelings of emptiness. Author Carl Laferton explores how the gifts of the first Christmas—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—point to the prophesied Savior: One who offers everlasting joy to all who accept Him.
Learn more about the unlikely gifts brought by the Magi and how they point forward to an eternal King.
Click here to learn more about Truth For Life
From Morning & Evening revised and edited by Alistair Begg copyright © 2003. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.