We See Through a Glass Darkly

It's always better to see someone face to face. That's why the promise of 1 Corinthians 13:12 is so wonderful. This 1-minute devotion explains.

When we moved to Budapest in 2005 to do Christian work, our first granddaughter was one year old. During our remaining five years overseas, God blessed us with three more grandchildren. 

Thanks to technology, we were able to see their faces on the computer. But that couldn't compare to our yearly trips to the States when we could see them face-to-face. Seeing them in person transformed our relationships.

This is one reason 1 Corinthians 13:12 is one of my favorite verses:

"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." 

Can you imagine seeing our Lord face-to-face! How wonderful that will be. And it will be absolutely transforming

"Now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." 1 John 3:2 

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The Amplified Version of 1 Corinthians 13:12 adds some wonderful insights:

"For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God]."

 

It's always better to see someone face to face. That's why the promise of 1 Corinthians 13:12 is so wonderful. This 1-minute devotion explains.


It's always better to see someone face to face. That's why the promise of 1 Corinthians 13:12 is so wonderful. This 1-minute devotion explains.

Bible Love Notes

13 comments:

  1. Skype is such a blessing for many. I am happy that you and your children and grandchildren can take advantage of it. Yes, One day we shall see Jesus face to face.

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  2. Dear Gail
    Yes, what a joyful day that will be when we see our Lord face-to-face!
    Blessings XX
    Mia

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  3. A blessing to read. God has blessed you.

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  4. That's true, technology is very helpful and wonderful that way! Here's a long but (I think) funny story.

    When our oldest first went away to college he Skyped us so that we could see his dorm room. So he started talking to us but we couldn't hear anything. We could see him, obviously, and see his lips moving but couldn't hear.

    So I started talking to him in sign language and while I was signing to him with my hands, my husband and I were talking about the fact that we couldn't hear him and wondering what was wrong.

    So I am signing away but instead of signing back my son and his friend are just laughing. So I asked him (in sign language) what they were laughing about.

    So my son signs to me that THEY can hear everything that WE'RE saying loud and clear, lol!

    My son called us on the phone so that we could hear him and not have to talk the whole time in sign language and he showed us his room via Skype!

    Thanks for hosting today!

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    1. Yes, Skype can cause some funny situations like this for sure...this is a good memory for you to laugh about. The other thing about Skype is that you need to remember not to answer the phone if you aren't fully dressed.
      : )

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  5. Thank you for hosting -- I am number 32, How Little Money Can You Live on?

    Christians more than anyone should know that there are no easy answers to complex questions, but there is a tendency to jump on tips, tricks, and easy easy solutions to figure out how to best use the resources that we have.

    As with the rest of our lives, we need to look at our unique life and situation, and find what sustainably, reasonably, and sensibly works for us, and do it. It may be something that works for someone else, it may not.

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  6. Until I was 9 years old, I only knew my grandparents through pictures. There was no skyping for me either, and in order to write, you had to use a blue airform that took 3 weeks to get from the US to Hong Kong!! Christmas packages had to be thought about in October!! Phone calls were totally OUT!! The funny thing is that I feel that I knew both sets of grandparents very well. I haven't tried Skype or Google Connect (or whatever it is called). . . yet.

    Thanks for hosting. Hope you had a great 4th

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    1. Judith,
      You really have some unique experiences in this area. Technology has so changed all of that, hasn't it?
      But I also agree with you that despite the distance, we can have a meaningful relationship with our loved ones. I lived away from my grandparents most of my life, but I was very close to one of them in particular.
      I'm just glad we have Skype now so we don't have to worry about the cost of a call and can spend time just being silly with the grandkids and such.

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    2. I haven't got up the nerve yet to try Skype :-) and I linked up just after you (over at the Growing Home) so I guess we are both still up!!

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  7. Our daughter lives on the west coast and we are on the east coast, so we use this technology all the time. We only get to visit once a year, so it keeps us connected the rest of the time. It made us feel like a family again when we switched from phone calls to video chats. Kim

    http://www.kimadamsmorgan.com

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    1. I know what you mean. I remember when we were living in Budapest and our daughter called us via Skype because our granddaughter wanted to show us a new pair of shoes. She couldn't have done this if we didn't have Skype, and we'd never thought of spending several dollars a minute to do it.

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  8. I've not been able to try skype yet, but I think it would be a great blessing when you're far from loved ones. Thanks for giving us a peek into the way you connected with your sweet little ones at those times, Gail. Great suggestion.

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  9. ha ha ha Skype should PAY you for this post ; your grand is so darn cute :)

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