Living in The Light of Seeing Jesus

Meera Short

September 28, 2025

 

This morning, I want to share with you some things that I believe the Lord has been speaking to my heart about.

 

Back in July, I woke up crying. I had gone to bed thinking about what heaven would be like, and my thoughts were on what I would do when I saw the Lord. As I woke up that morning, my face was drenched with tears. I said out loud, “Lord, what do I really know about you? Will you be a stranger to me when I see you?”

 

This thought took root in my heart and mind. It made me question everything that I was thinking, saying, and doing.

 

What does it mean to know someone?

 

When we take the time to know someone, we are not simply responding to them based on what we think they are like. Our responses to them are based on being familiar with “their” personal likes and dislikes. It is based on listening to them when “they” speak. Knowing what makes them smile, laugh, sad, and angry. It’s knowing what they are passionate about. It can involve things like their favorite way to spend their time. Their favorite color, foods, and smells. Their favorite music, movie, and memories.

 

These are things that you just don’t ask someone at a one-time meet-up by going through a litany of questions. These are things that you will learn by spending quality time with someone.

 

Do you believe it’s important for a husband and wife or best friends to know each other? What would it be like being married to someone for over 20 or 30 years and one day, waking up with the thought that you do not know each other? You have nothing in common, or who is this alien I am married to?

 

Our relationship with The Lord

A.W. Tozer wrote, “Wrong ideas about God are not only the fountain from which the polluted waters of idolatry flow; they are themselves idolatrous. The idolater simply imagines things about God and acts as if they were true.”

(The first ingredient in developing a healthy relationship with the Lord and experiencing His love is to understand that He chose us.)

1. He chose us

 

John 15:16 NKJV

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

 

Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. ⁵ God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

John 14:6 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

 

These scriptures are some among many that clearly state that we are chosen by God.

 

The foundation of our relationship with the Lord rests on this truth, we were chosen by Him.

 

2. He gave His life for us

 

John 3:16 NKJV

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Ephesians 5:25-32 NKJV
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, ²⁶ that He might ^[a]sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷ that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. ³⁰ For we are members of His body, ^[b]of His flesh and of His bones. ³¹ “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” ³² This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

 

The mystery

 

Genesis 2:23

Then Adam said, This [creature] is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of a man.

 

While Eve was born out of Adam, from him, the church was born out of Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. Born of His blood! We who profess Jesus, came to be called Christians, called the church, called His Body, called His bride, all because of His sacrifice. The shedding of His blood.

 

1 Corinthians 15:45 AMPC
Thus it is written, The first man Adam became a living being (an individual personality); the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving Spirit [restoring the dead to life].

Romans 5:19 AMPC

For just as by one man’s disobedience (failing to hear, heedlessness, and carelessness) the many were constituted sinners, so by one Man’s obedience the many will be constituted righteous (made acceptable to God, brought into right standing with Him).

 

 

Christ is life-giving!

 

The depth of Jesus’s love can be measured by the cost He was willing to pay.

Jesus said in

John 10:14-18 MSG

“I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They’ll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father.”

 

In His love, He is patient.

I Peter 3:9 NKJV

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

 

In His love, He wants us to come to Him. Jesus wants us to know Him, to know the Father.

 

The Father made us to be in intimate fellowship with Him. Not to stand afar of from Him. We see this so very clearly in the pages of the Bible. He walked with Adam and Eve. He met with Cain and Abel. He met with Abraham and with Moses. So many others heard Him and communed with Him. He drew us to Himself and placed His Spirit within us.

 

It is impossible for us to know everything about God. But what I do know is that the beginning of this walk with Him and the first step to beginning this process is making it a priority to experience His love. The very meaning of who He is is LOVE.

 

Our Responsibility

 

To recognize that we are on hold for Him

 

Hosea 2:19-20 NKJV

I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me
In righteousness and justice,
In lovingkindness and mercy;
²⁰ I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,
And you shall know the Lord.

 

2 Corinthians 11:1-3 MSG

Will you put up with a little foolish aside from me? Please, just for a moment. The thing that has me so upset is that I care about you so much—this is the passion of God burning inside me! I promised your hand in marriage to Christ, presented you as a pure virgin to her husband. And now I’m afraid that exactly as the Snake seduced Eve with his smooth tongue, you are being lured away from the simple purity of your love for Christ.

 

Philippians 3:20 NKJV

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ

 

Hebrews 13:14 NLT

For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

 

There are many references in scripture that show us that we are awaiting Jesus’ return for us, that this world is our temporary home.

 

While we wait, are we preparing for Him?

 

Matthew 25:1-13 ESV

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps^[a] and went to meet the bridegroom.^{[b] 2} Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵ As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. ⁶ But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. ¹¹ Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ ¹² But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ ¹³ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

 

 

Live set apart

 

Romans 12:2 NLT

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

 

1 Corinthians 6:14-18 ESV

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

NLT:
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil^[d]? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.^[e]17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.^[f]18 And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.^[g]”

2 Timothy 2:21 ESV
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

2 Corinthians 5:9-10 NKJV

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

 

The truth is, if we are pleasing to God, we will more than likely not be pleasing to those who are not walking with God. If people cannot readily know where you stand with the Lord, then we may need to reflect on who we are living to please.

 

1 John 2:3 NKJV

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

 

Live a life of prayer

Preparing for Jesus means that I will learn to hear His voice. Developing our prayer life is crucial to this. Prayer is as essential to our lives as it is to breathe. God desires fellowship with us. Prayer is the place that we open our hearts before Him. It is the place of dialogue, where we speak, He hears us, and He answers. We do not add prayer to our day, but make prayer a lifestyle around which our daily routines are built.

 

Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

When Jesus got busy, He took time to pray.

Luke 5:15-16 NKJV

However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. ¹⁶ So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

 

Study the Bible

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

 

The Word of God speaks to our inner man; it helps us to know our thoughts and our attitudes. It helps us to see if we are aligned with God’s way of thinking. It judges even down to our motives.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary says this:
…it is able to discriminate successfully between what is spiritual in man and what is merely “soulish” or natural (it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit), and does so even when these often-contradictory inner elements are interwoven as closely as joints and marrow. The inner life of a Christian is often a strange mixture of motivations both genuinely spiritual and completely human. It takes a supernaturally discerning agent such as the Word of God to sort these out and to expose what is of the flesh.

James 1:22-24 NKJV

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

 

We will know Him by His Word!

 

Live Holy

Ephesians 5:27 NKJV

that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

 

1 Peter 1:15 NKJV

but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

 

Hebrews 12:14 NKJV

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV

Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

 

Life is filled with choices. We have the power of choice. It was given to us by our creator, and we can use it at will. However, living for the Lord means exactly that, we live for Him. And when we choose to live for Him, we give up the right to have it our way. Our way will lead to a life that is filled with compromise. Are we truly willing to pay the price that compromise may cost?

 

I told you I woke up crying, really weeping. I woke up crushed, that as much as I thought I was ready to see the Lord, perhaps I really wasn’t. And this thought has stirred my heart.

 

You see, if I truly know Him, I would not be so quick to retaliate with hurtful words and actions towards others. I would be patient, I would be kind, I would be generous, and considerate. I would not be quick to become angry, I would be forgiving, I would never turn my ear to things that Jesus wouldn’t listen to, nor would I laugh at things He wouldn’t laugh at. I would sincerely and zealously pursue walking in love. I would serve others better.

 

Revelation 19:7-8 NKJV

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” ⁸ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

 

This garment that the saints wear is somehow made up of the works of the saints. What we do in this life matters!

 

Some things to reflect on:

What are the things that come most naturally to my heart when I think about Jesus?

If I could describe Him to someone in two minutes, what would I share?

Do I talk to Him about everything before I speak to anyone else?

How does the Lord feel about me? (Jeremiah 31:3)

I am living with eternity in mind?

 

Remember, He desires to be known by you.