Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.
                                (1 Peter 1:8) NIV

I remember the excitement awaiting the birth of my 3 grandchildren; one, 10 years ago, the 2nd, 6 years ago and the 3rd, almost 4 months ago. I wasn’t even that excited when my kids were born! I guess I was too stupid or at least too ignorant to be excited. Most days I could manage my exuberance fairly well. Other days I couldn’t. I would get excited over the idea of holding that little one to my heart and whisper-singing “Jesus Loves Me” into their tiny little ears. I would even get excited about the cuteness of baby clothes! I remember popping open a bottle of baby lotion or baby bath and draw a deep whiff. It smells just like a baby! I remember thinking before they were even born, “I love these little creatures and I haven’t even seen them yet!
The joy is inexpressible. So, I have no trouble understanding the above verse, saying that even though we haven’t seen Jesus face to face yet, we can feel inexpressible joy at the thought of Him, His nearness, the “movement” of His Spirit within us, the certainty of His love, and the promise that we’ll see Him face to face one day.
Even as I remember the excitement & joy of being an expectant grandfather, I can confidently say that there’s no joy like Jesus!

Faith Step – Write a love letter to the Jesus whom you have yet to see. Express your                 current joy and your anticipation for what’s ahead.