The NIV 365 Day Devotional

Face to Face

25 I know that my redeemer lives,
  and that in the end he will stand on the earth.[b]
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
  yet[c] in[d] my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him
  with my own eyes—I, and not another.
  How my heart yearns within me!

Job 19:25–27

In heaven, you will see God face to face.

Read.

In Old Testament times, people knew that God was so holy and their sin was so evil that no person could see him and live. During tabernacle/temple times, only one Israelite was allowed to pass through the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place and enter God’s presence—and that only once a year. Generations of Israelites were born and died without ever being directly in God’s presence.

But after God resurrects us and rids the universe of evil, he’ll fully welcome us to live in his presence. What was once so unreal that it could never happen will become our reality every day. “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another” (Job 19:25–27).

Think.

How will this work? God will definitely have a throne in the new Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 3:17), but he most likely will be everywhere too. Since God is with us always now (see Hebrews 13:5), whatever keeps us from sensing his constant presence on the fallen earth will be absent from the new earth. Maybe what we call “prayer” on the fallen earth will be the completely unhindered two-way conversation that we’ll have with God wherever we are on the new earth—or wherever we are in the entire universe.

Live.

One day you will see God’s face; you will talk to him. Although God is a spirit, he will be fully present with you, and you will see him with your own eyes (see Psalm 17:15; Revelation 22:4).

In heaven, you’ll be able to come right into God’s presence. There will be no more wondering if he’s listening to you—you’ll know and see that he most definitely is. He’ll be as present to you as the air that surrounds you. And he’ll be that close forever.

Write a prayer asking God to help you live in his love that is founded by the desire to be close to you—forever.

Taken from Read. Think. Live.