I CAN’T WAIT TO STAND BEFORE HIM

What a powerful statement I just read in Psalm 42:2b. The Psalmist asks this question: "When can I go and stand before Him?"

For most of my life the thought of having to stand before God and give an account of everything I have done, said, and thought has been terrifying. The Psalmist (I'm not completely certain that David wrote this particular Psalm), but whoever wrote it, was actually longing and yearning to stand before God.

When you think of standing before God, is it a thought of eagerness and expectation or a thought of fear and trepidation?

I John 4:17-18 speaks to this: "And as we live in God our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love."

This makes me think of Ephesians 1:4: "Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes."

Go back to Psalm 42. How is it that the Psalmist has come to experience this perfect love from the Father? How is it that he has only feelings of eager expectation thinking about standing before Him? It is found in the verses that proceed. In Psalm 42:1-2a he says, "As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, O God. I thirst for God, the living God." It is immediately after that in verse 2b that he says, "When can I go and stand before Him?"

The longer I abide in His presence, the more I become like Him. I am changed into His likeness (II Corinthians 3:18). My sins are forgiven and the desire to follow my own way and my own will are taken away. All I want is to be with Jesus, obey Jesus, and be like Jesus.

I get goosebumps listening to the lyrics of Charity Gayle's song, "Endless Praise":

"I can't wait for eternity; Join the song they're already singing; Holy, holy, holy; Are You Lord!

Just to bow down before Your throne; See Your face, I'll cry out; Because You're holy, holy, holy; Are You Lord!

Standing with those who have heard well done; Proclaiming forever that You're the One who's; Faithful, faithful, faithful; Are You Lord!

If the thought of standing before God at the judgment brings you any type of fear, there are two things that need to change.

First, there is some type of sin you are holding onto. You must let go of it. You must repent and surrender. There is something that you love more than you love the Savior. Ask God to search your heart and make you clean.

And second, you need to live in the security of His perfect love. You can't earn it. He has done it all for You. He loves you with an everlasting love. "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" (Ephesians 1:5).

Oh, when can I go and stand before Him? I can't wait for eternity!