Face to Face

Brimming with tears, I come before him on bended knee through my pride, feeling sorrow and shame, I speak, and slowly he turns... to give me his face, eyes looking deeply into mine.


Tears overflow, as I lean in for embrace. I am so sorry...please forgive me. I was wrong, and I have sinned.

Gently he cups my face in his hand, and runs his finger along my cheek catching the drops of sorrow on the tips....he leans in and whispers, breath warm on my brow as I bury myself into him...

It's OK mama...I'll always forgive you.

  

The death, and resurrection of God's Son has made it possible for us to come close into the intimacy of His fellowship.  We can now see and experience God's forgiveness and love....

                                 Face to Face. 

In the Old Testament, after fellowship with God was violated in Eden, people could still have a proximate relationship with God, but there was one absolute prohibition. No one was allowed to look into the face of God. That privilege, the beatific vision, was reserved for the final fulfillment of our redemption. This is the hope that we have, that someday we will be able to gaze unveiled directly into the face of God. We are still under the mandate, “man shall not see [God] and live” (Ex. 33:20). It was always the Jewish hope, however, that someday this punishment for the fall of man would be removed.
      ~R.C. Sproul

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
     ~1 Corinthians 13:12

 When Jesus was forsaken by God on the cross, He was cursed, and no longer able to commune with the Father..."face to face".  In the midst of His forsakenness, I doubt He was even aware of the nails in His hands or the thorns in His brow. He who had communed with the Godhead, was now cut off from the Father...

       so that now we can commune intimately, with the Almighty.

Like the Son who shared intimacy with His Father; we can press close to the Almighty in confidence, with the whispered prayer...

Abba Father, Forgive me! Though I have sinned, do not withold your countenance from me!

And He will cup our face in His hands, looking deep into our eyes. His breath warm upon our brow. And as we bury ourselves into Him, He speaks...

         It's OK my child...I'll always forgive you.

Isn't prayer ultimately about a child longing for his Father?
To look deeply and fully into his Father's face and be fully known?

The ancient Israelites understood this blessedness. True blessedness is to be able to behold the face of God.

The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
      ~Num. 6:24–26

No longer does God love His chosen from a distance, through sacrifice and laws. As we remember  Christ's death and resurrection this Easter, let us also rejoice that we can experience the fullness of the benediction of Israel

  
and look unveiled....

 into the countenance of God.

Joining Ann @ Holy Experience and the rest of the Gratitude Community by continuing the counting of multitudes of blessings, and being ever so grateful. Keeping a List of a 1000 Gifts that paves a way to a life of thankfulness.

151.) The death and resurrection of Almighty God

152.) Singing in the Easter Choir

153.) Excited boys over Easter Egg hunt

154.) Family gathered for Easter meal

154.) Spring Break correlating with Easter Sunday this year.

155.) Beautiful Spring weather

156.) boys dressed up in white shirts and ties

157.) helpful house cleaning husband

158.) the sweetness of puppy love:)

159.) payday!

160.) God's numerous blessings on this family...
                                        (help us to be thankful:)

Always Seeking Higher Ground,

Nora