(Joni sings)
Open my eyes Lord,
I want to see Jesus.
To reach out and touch Him,
And to say that I love Him.
This song reminds me so much of a verse out of the Song of Solomon: God says to us: “Show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely” (Song of Songs 2:14).
This is a God in love. He longs to see our face and hear our voice as we praise him with words and songs from the heart. “Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful” (Psalm 33:1).
God thinks my soul is beautiful when I praise him! It makes me want to praise him with singing all the more. Little wonder I can hardly wait to see his face. Like any bride-in-waiting, I find it hard to rest comfortably in a relationship when I cannot see the face of the one I adore. When it comes to brides and bridegrooms, full intimacy comes between a man and woman face-to-face. And when the Bible speaks of longing for God, it speaks in terms of wanting to see his face. The Psalmist pleads with God, “Make your face shine upon us” and “Do not hide your face from us.” Ultimately, “In righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness” (Psalm 80:3; 27:9; 17:15). To hold the gaze of God is to find love, acceptance, and satisfaction.
Our longing to see the face of God is a longing, whether we know it or not, to see our sins exposed and to be cleansed. This is what brides-in-waiting do: “His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean” (Revelation 19:7-8). Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints. Your wedding gift to your Savior is your earthly obedience, the evidence of your love. Dressed in righteousness, you will see the face of God! Make your praise beautiful today — he thinks it’s lovely!
As we close these 5 minutes out today, friend, why don't you sing the rest of that song together.
(Joni sings)
Open our eyes Lord,
And help us to listen.
Open our eyes Lord,
We want to see Jesus.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 93176
© Joni and Friends