What can be more blessed than God's having unveiled the face of Christ to the heart and the bright light of that face shining down and filling the heart! The Holy Spirit is given to bring it always there. But, bright as it is, the treasure is in an earthen vessel, and we are still in the wilderness.
God knows nothing so beautiful as Christ; He would have us ever looking on Him in whose all-perfect beauty the Almighty heart finds all delight. That God has unveiled that face and let all its light shine down into our hearts is indeed most blessed, but from that very thing great responsibility comes in. We have to walk as light bearers. The Christ with uncovered face is a Christ whose light shines down in order to shine out through His people. All the light which they ought to give out is in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. If you looked at responsibility as connected only with self, you would murmur and be miserable.
Reflections in Earthen Vessels
Whenever we look at responsibility, it makes us feel the need of the sweetness that we find in knowing that we are left down here as witnesses for the Lord. As soon as He comes, He will fill the whole earth with glory; we must wait for that. Our present position is as a flock for the “slaughter,” passing over the earth, letting light shine out. When He comes, He will give the higher glory. What sweetness there is in realizing we are being used by the Lord down here to give out light—serving His purpose—for He will have a light on the earth while He is away. When He comes, it will not only be the joys of His kingdom, but also you will appreciate that you have served His turn in the wilderness, letting light (His light) shine out. And when He put you there, did He not know what the earthen vessel was? The more weak and feeble we are, the more will be our sense of His power.
Witnesses for Him
Soon we shall be up there with Christ. God does not mean for us to be happy without Him, but God would first have us to be witnesses for Him down here, to show out as much light as we can.
Not only have I seen the face of Jesus Christ (see John 14:2121He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:21)), and, oh, what a sight beyond all sights! but I have a connection with Christ in the light. I have not only to look away from things present and see that bright light up there, but I have to reflect it down here. I may be a very bad reflector; in substance Christ says, Never mind; go on; I will give the power; I know you are nothing in yourself and that you are in the place where it is night, but go on giving out light; soon you will be in God's day. That morning without clouds will usher us into the light where Christ now is. He is the bright and morning Star. For more than 1900 years He has been dealing with a people down here; the night may be very dark, but the darkness does not reach up to the bright and morning Star. No cloud can cover Him; soon He will shine out. We are only on sufferance here, on our way to what lies farther on. He is our bright and morning Star; we shall see Him. He will take us up and guide us to the Father's house, before the sun shines out. This hope gives us courage to go on in the midst of failure.
The Lord’s Coming
To be sure, I have failed. Have I been a good light reflector? No! but I am to go on as I can till He comes, till I see Him as the bright and morning Star. Our focus in not to be on being bright light reflectors at His coming (though we ought to be such), nor in filling the lamps with oil, but like the Holy Spirit says with the bride, wanting Him to come, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus”. Are your hearts so going forth as to be ever saying, “Come, Lord Jesus”? You need not look around and wait for another; you may say it to Him. Ah! cultivate communion with Christ in connection with that word “Come”! I know nothing so fitted to raise one up out of the world as having the soul in communion with Christ about that—looking at ourselves as part of the bride still on earth, and the Spirit in her saying, “Come, Lord Jesus.”
G. V. Wigram (adapted)