"I verily that if He shewed now [to] us His Blissful Cheer, there is no pain in earth or in other place that should aggrieve us; but all things should be to us joy and bliss."
Julian of Norwich (Ch. 21)
Christ's face is full of joy, full of 'blissful cheer.' He is smiling right now because all He suffered was worth it to bring us back home with Him! Though we had been kidnapped and held captive by sin, fear, suffering, sorrow and death, He did what it took to rescue us, save us, free us. Jesus bore our sin for us, bore our pain and sorrow for us, suffered for us, died for us, went to the grave for us, and He overcame it all! His work is finished! Death is defeated, sin is defeated, pain is defeated. We are rescued from sin's and death's clutches and safely rest in God's arms. Only victory and joy await us! If we could see Him standing right here before us, the look on His face would be one of such triumph, such peace, such joy, that we would be lifted up from all pain and filled with the same triumph and peace and joy. We would see in His countenance such love, such acceptance, such warmth, such delight, that we would melt into His arms and know that nothing can hurt us, bother us, or bring us down ever again. He is smiling and laughing and full of such joy because the victory is won and we are free from sin's power and effects, triumphant over death in His resurrection life, safe in His arms forevermore! You see, we were the prize worth dying for, we were the treasure and joy that urged Him on. The joy of having us made all the suffering worth it. To Christ, we are worth it!
"Because His heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be His, He endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!"
Hebrews 12:2 (TPT)
A Prayer: Thank You for what You went through to rescue me. Let me look into Your eyes so I can see what I mean to You!