Can We See Jesus Today?
Haggai 2:9
’The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace, ’ declares the LORD Almighty.”
Can we see Jesus today? Emphatically, "Yes!" for those who obey him. I love the passage in John 14:15-27 where Jesus says those who love him will obey his commands. His promise is that he will manifest himself to us. How pleased he must’ve been to show himself to the disciples after his resurrection and how moved their hearts had to have been.
John 14:21
“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
The people in Haggai's time were looking after their own comfort and neglecting to hear what God wanted them to do with rebuilding his temple. He had plans for them but because of selfish ambition they could not hear. He dried up their provision. That got their attention. Sometimes we are too focused on our own comfort to hear from the One who is speaking.
If you’ve never experienced the peace of God then you have nothing to compare it to. Some believe they are living the best life they can obtain and they embrace the thought that maybe this is all life has to offer. As long as there’s no trouble, the bills are paid, health is normal and the car is running fine, then we must be doing pretty good. We keep striving while seeking the wrong things.
Psalms 34:8
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Sinful thinking affects how you respond to adversity. Some circumstances are minor and subtle and others come crashing in like a freight train. Dependance on his peace helps renew our strength. You cannot soar on wings of eagles while striving. Isaiah said it well;
Isaiah 40:31
Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
The Lord promises refreshment for the soul. Sometimes I feel dry and thirsty and don’t realize how dehydrated I am. At times, I feel the same way spiritually. It’s amazing how the Bible refreshes the soul in those times. Like crossing into another dimension, His Word washes me clean and gives new life, purpose, and meaning to the trial I am dealing with. Now having eyes, I can see (Mark 8:18)!
Each day presents it's own unique set of challenges. Navigating them in the Spirit is much more pleasant than going at it in my flesh. Striving hinders, tires and stresses but striving ceases when we come into his presence.
Jesus wants to reveal himself to us. The wind is invisible but you can see what it is doing. Knowing and recognizing Jesus' presence brings an assurance that is more valuable than a change in circumstance.
John 16:13
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
2 Corinthians 3:18
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
