GOD IS NEAR

The Divine Image

To Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love

All pray in their distress;

And to these virtues of delight

Return their thankfulness.

For Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love

Is God, our father dear,

And Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love

Is Man, his child and care.

For Mercy has a human heart,

Pity a human face,

And Love, the human form divine,

And Peace, the human dress.

Then every one, of every clime,

That prays in their distress,

Prays to the human form divine,

Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.

And all must love the human form,

In Heathen, Turk, or Jew,

Where Mercy, Love, and Pity dwell

There God is dwelling too.

William Blake 1757-1327

“Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3:2

I really do wonder whether we have even started to grasp the enormity of our position in Christ; the incredible love; the peculiar privileged and the gracious gift that we have received from our Father in heaven - that we should be called His children..

Not only are we called His children and have been permanently adopted into His family, by grace through faith in Christ, but we are told what we shall be in the future - for the day is coming when we shall see Him as He is and we will become like Him.

Prayer

To be like Jesus!
This hope possesses me;
In every thought and deed,
This is my aim, my creed;
To be like Jesus!
This hope possesses me;
His Spirit helping me,
Like Him I’ll be.

John Gowans - 1934 - 2012