"And ever the more clearly that the soul seeth this Blissful Cheer by grace of loving, the more it longeth to see it in fulness. For notwithstanding that our Lord God dwelleth in us and is here with us, and albeit He claspeth us and encloseth us for tender love that He may never leave us, and is more near to us than tongue can tell or heart can think, yet may we never stint.... of longing till when we see Him clearly in His Blissful Countenance. For in that precious blissful sight there may no woe abide, nor any weal fail."
Julian of Norwich (Ch. 72)
The more we see the face of God all loving and joyful towards us, the more we long to see it. Christ has shown us that the face of God is always towards us, always looking at us with love, always happy with us. And this just makes us want to know God more and more. Where before, we shrank back from God is fear and confusion, now we reach out for God in love and longing to know Him more. This beautiful loving God is endlessly attractive and draws us like a magnet to His marvelous love. Once we get a taste of that love, we just want to know and commune with Him more and more. And even though He is always here with us on earth, embracing us in tenderness and never letting go of us, closer to us than we can even imagine, still we long for the day when our faith will be sight and we will be face to face with God in heaven forevermore. One look at His lovely face, one gaze into those tender eyes, one sight of His merry smile, and every sorrow, pain or trouble we had on earth will be dissolved into nothing and forgotten. We were made to be held in that gaze. We were made to be loved on for all eternity by the Love that made the worlds, that died to have us with Him, the Love that brings us home to Him forevermore.
"I will be full of joy when I see Your face."
Acts 2:28 (NLV)
A Prayer: I will look on Your face for all eternity, and eternity won't even be long enough to rejoice in Your presence of love!