With Me

Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  

John 17:24 

Christ has desires for the good of His people. That good entails a future with Him. As He prays to His Father, He expresses His desire for ‘they also whom You gave me.’ He expanded this group far beyond the disciples when He prayed, ‘I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.’ Immediately after that expansion, He articulated what He desired for this great multitude. He desired that ‘they all may be one; that they may be made perfect; that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as You have loved Me.’ He goes on to express, ‘Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with me where I am.’ This harmonizes with everything else we know about being in Christ. Paul, speaking of death, declares for us to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. The description John gives of the eternal state portrays the redeemed as being forever with Christ. Thus we are certain about our future with Christ. He saved us and He will keep us. All our future is in His hands. 

Our Glorious God and our Savior, 
we rejoice that You are for us. 
We praise You that our future is with You.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning