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Every year, at least six million people visit Arizona to see one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon. Two-hundred and seventy-seven miles long, and eighteen miles wide!  To get some perspective, it is longer than the state of New Jersey (NJ is 166 miles long) and about one-fourth as wide (NJ is 70 miles at its widest point).

We have all heard it said, or even said it ourselves, “Don’t miss the trees by focusing on the forest.”  The descent into the Grand Canyon is an example!  Most only view the Grand Canyon from the top of the rim, by a focus on the whole — or a least a massive section of the whole.

Only one percent of the visitors take the tour down into the Grand Canyon.  As you descend into the Canyon, everything quickly changes.  Changing sightlines, angles, and perspectives change quickly and repeatedly as one continually takes more and more steps into the Grandeur of the Canyon.  The wall of the Canyon becomes imposing, and one’s smallness becomes more and more apparent.

That 1% who take a tour into the Grand Canyon will tell you that a bird’s eye view vastly differs from being in it!   “We can only imagine.”

Interestingly, “I can only imagine” is the title of one of the most famous Christian songs over the past five years.  It reminds us of what we all learn during life and living —  Watching from the outside is different than experiencing it.

Only three of the Lord’s disciples  — 25% — we allowed to take the tour with Jesus to the “Mount of Transfiguration.”  They were the ones who got to see and experience the imposing grandeur, greatness, and glory of Jesus — up close and personal. They were given a glimpse of the hidden glory of Jesus and heard the words of the Father from the heavens.

Peter, James, and John saw Jesus from a totally different point of view, and those new sightlines, angles, and perspectives were never forgotten.

Surely, those three disciples shared their experience with the other nine disciples!  But hearing about it is different than experiencing it.

Peter, John, & James all wrote about the shinning greatness and glory they personally witnessed on the Mount of Transfiguration years later . . .

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
— John 1:14 —

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“My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.”
— James 2:1 —

The Scriptures tell us a lot about heaven and eternity, from the rim of that great and glorious morning when the dead in Christ shall rise.  However, one day, it will all be personal, actual, up close.  For all who know Christ as their Saviour, it will be beyond all we could have imagined. . . . .

But as it is written,
Eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man,
the things which God hath prepared for them that love him
— I Corinthians 2:9 —

One day when Jesus returns, or upon our passing, we will be no longer looking from the rim of His kingdom but living in the deepest realities of all that God has prepared for His people!

We will have a completely different perspective on all that has happened in life, in this world, and about those experiences that we could not understand or explain.  We will see our lives from a vastly different point of view!

And we will move . . . .
from — “I Can Only Imagine,”
to — “Finally Home,”  . . . .

Of stepping on shore
And finding it Heaven!
Of taking hold of a hand
And finding it God’s Hand!
Of breathing a new air
And finding it celestial air!
Of feeling invigorated
And finding it immortality!
Of passing from storm and tempest
To an unbroken calm;
Of waking up and finding
Yourself HOME!
— by Robert E. Sell —
(“Finally Home,” was made popular by Sandy Patti)

Key Illustrative Thoughts:

• revival
• passion
• Christian living
• sanctification
• edification
• growth