After Moses spent 40 days with God on Mount Sinai, he came down the mountain and his face shone with a brilliance that frightened people. This man had been in the presence of the Almighty.
When Jesus said He was going to the Father, Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us†(John 14:8). What Philip wanted - to see and know God - is what every child of God wants. So how did Jesus answer? “Sign up for the ‘God Seminar 101’, which will be held in your local church?†No, Jesus answered, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father†(John 14:9). Paul understood this when he wrote, “He [Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation†(Colossians 1:15). And that word Paul used which we translate “image†is the Greek word icon.
Many think of icons as religious images or artistic impressions of a revered figure, and stop there. But every child of God knows that there is a vast difference between an icon painted and gilded and a relationship with a living Savior whose image the artist has crafted. God’s Son is the icon, the image of God, as Paul put it. Getting to know God is not a long, drawn out mystical exercise. It’s a daily matter of living in and claiming the presence of the Almighty.
Jesus promised to walk with us, to never leave or forsake us, to go with us wherever God leads. As C. Austin Miles wrote, “He walks with me, and he talks with me, and he tells me I am His own.†What more could you ask? Abide in His presence today.
Used with permission from Guidelines Philippines, Inc. To learn more about Guidelines and the ministry, please write to Box 4000, 1280 Makati City, Philippines or e-mail address box4000@guidelines.org. You may also visit our website at www.guidelines.org.