“The time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory.” Isaiah 66:18
This is God’s promise to all his people: You will see Christ’s glory!
In heaven, everything you discover, everything you accomplish, and everything you enjoy will give you fresh glimpses of the glory of God. After a million ages in heaven, you will only have grasped the beginning of Christ’s glory. That’s why life in heaven will never be old or dull, but always fresh and new. Christ’s glory is inexhaustible.
Now here’s the point: Our worship now is a foretaste of what we will experience then.
Listen to what Paul says: “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12). Worship is a foretaste of heaven. It is seeing now a little bit of what we will see then. Every glimpse of the glory of Christ in singing, in praying, in preaching, and around the Lord’s table, is an anticipation of your unclouded joy when you see the Savior. Many people today associate worship with singing, but the heart of worship lies not in what we sing but in what we see. Seeing Christ’s glory is the heart of worship.
Every service of worship should be like a visit to the Grand Canyon. You know the Grand Canyon is big, but when you get there, it is bigger than you remembered. People who have often been there say that it is always bigger than you think. And that’s how it is with God! His love is deeper than you think. His power is stronger than you think. His holiness is purer than you think. God is always greater than our highest thoughts about him.
Will you anticipate and make it your intention to enlarge your vision of Christ’s glory as you participate in worship this week?
