“Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with Thy countenance.” (Acts 2:28)
There’s no better sensation in the world than when your heart is filled to the brim with happiness, and you know there is nowhere else you would rather be. On this side of heaven, those times are rare, but for everyone who has placed their faith in Christ for salvation, it will one day be our way of life forever.
Could you picture it? No worry . . no rushing to the next task . . nothing to despair over or get angry about. There is no remorse, humiliation, or guilt, and certainly no apathy or boredom. Yes, this will be a future reality for every child of God, and in the present, we get to see glimpses of this reality because, as followers of Christ, we have the Holy Spirit residing within us. We are able to control our wrath with the power of His Spirit, but we are powerless to eliminate the sources of our anger. We have the freedom to choose contentment, but we are powerless to alter the difficult situations that lead to anxiety and fear. However, one day, there won’t be anything to be sad about, nothing to be concerned about, and nothing to be ashamed of or regret. When God welcomes us home, this is what followers of Christ have to look forward to.
But more than anything else, God’s presence fills our hearts with joy. It’s not only that negative things are absent; rather, if I may paraphrase, Acts 2:28 is saying, “You will make me full of gladness with Your presence,” not, “You will make me full of gladness in Your presence.” This is important to note. In this verse, the Greek word “presence” implies “face and countenance.” Or, to put it another way, at some point, God’s very face will make our hearts glad.
We will be able to look into His face and see the One who created our innermost selves. The voice that called Jesus from the dead and spoke the world into being will be heard. Jesus, the Lamb of God, will be seated in the place of honor and glory that is rightfully His. The angelic choir that never stops saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,” is something we shall join. He will bring joy to us in His presence.
Have you placed all of your faith in Christ? Except for the One who created you and is intimately familiar with you, nothing in all of creation can truly satisfy you.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to bring about Your presence now. Thank You that, because of Jesus, I don’t have to wait for heaven to know You. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
