The Glory of the Lord shines brighter than anything we have every experienced. Imagine being blinded for three days by light. That was Paul when he experience the Glory of the Lord as he was converted from Saul (see Acts 9:1-19). And we are given more evidence in Revelation in the passage I studied this morning.

“²³And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. ²⁴By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, ²⁵and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.” – Revelation 21:23-25 (ESV)

As I read this passage there are things that really stand out to me. First, “the city has no need of sun or moon”. This is no ordinary city, it is approximately 1.9 million square miles. Take into account that the largest state in the United States is approximately 663,300 square miles, that helps me to gain some context. And think about it, Alaska is all light for 3 months of the year and as you see in verse 25, “there will be no night there”, is the second thing. We cannot imagine the power of the Glory of the Lord shining down.

“The Glory of God gives it light” is the third thing I see in this passage. God’s Glory is what gives the light to the New Jerusalem and the strength of His Glory is enough to light the entire city forever. I have hope that here in this world I will experience just a fraction of His Glory as I walk and do His work. I know that I will get to experience all that John writes in Revelation upon my move from this world to my home in heaven, and for that I am eternally grateful to my Lord and Savior.

The Glory of the Lord shines brighter than we can imagine. To light the New Jerusalem, what a strength is displayed.

What was your vision of the Glory of the Lord? Did you see all the amazing strength and power that comes with His Glory? What if we did all just to find a fraction of the Glory of the Lord that shines so bright?

God is worthy of our worship. Not just today, but for ever and ever.

“⁸And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’ ⁹And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘¹¹Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.’” – Revelation 4:8-11 (ESV)

As I read this morning I see here in verse 8, 9, and 10 the evidence of God eternal. First in verse 8 there is the “never cease” to bring Him glory. And then in verse 9 we see that He “lives forever and ever”. And in verse 10 the worship of “him who lives forever and ever”. Three mentions in 3 concurrent verses.

The worship of the Glory of the LORD is not a “one and done” kind of thing. I have a responsibility to worship Him forever. His glory abounds forever and I have a duty to honor Him forever.

Now forever sounds like a long time and that in the context of the world is true. I however have to remember that through the salvation provided by Christ, I have forever in my eternal home in heaven. I may only be in this world for a short time, but I will be with Christ forever and as such shall be providing my worship to Him for all time. I have to remember to stop looking at things in terms of this world and remembering the eternal life I have with Him. Just as the “living creatures” and the “twenty-four elders” worship the Glory of the LORD for eternity, so I should as well.

What is the time you spend worshiping the Glory of the LORD? Are you looking at a finite amount of time in which to get it done? What if we were to approach worshiping the Glory of the LORD forever?

“²²Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, ²³since you have been born again, not of a perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; ²⁴for ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, ²⁵but the word of the Lord remains forever.’ And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” – 1 Peter 1:22-25 (ESV)

Peter puts it here that we are to grow fully here in this world and reach our potential as the flowering of the grass. We also must be aware that we, the grass and the flower will fade completely, but the glory of the LORD will last forever.

I am the grass and will grow to the extent that God will have me grow, even to the point of producing flowers. That growth and the flowers are at His will and glory. Once we have reached the time of completing our tasks here in this world, we will transition to eternity with Him.

The thing for me to remember is that even though I wither and fade, He remains. God’s glory is everlasting in this world. My time might have come, God still has work that is to be done and will remain until it is complete. God’s glory is forever whether in this world or in heaven. My part is only temporary and when it is up, God will continue on.

I have to continue doing the work of God even as I know that I will fade and fall away once my work is done. The thing is that I do not know when that time is to come. It may be today, tomorrow, next week, next year, or some other time, but it will come and I have only to ensure that I have been doing the work God has set for me to complete. Once complete, I know that God and His glory will remain as there may still be work to do and He is there for those that are performing that work.

What work are you completing for the Lord? Are you even aware that you will fade and fall? What if you just kept on doing the work God has for you and when you are complete, you will meet Him in glory?

This morning as I was reading and studying the word “glory” I was reminded that whatever is on this world for me to experience, it is only really for a little while. And, after that little while, glory will be thrust upon.

“⁵Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. ⁶It has been testified somewhere, ‘What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? ⁷You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, ⁸putting everything in subjection under his feet.’ Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.” – Hebrews 2:5-8 (ESV)

Jesus, who was sent to this world, was a little lower than the angels, and that was by design. Now be careful here, Jesus was not less than the angels, only on the outside did he appear lower. His majesty was decreased to fit here in this world. We were not ready to see or interact with Christ in His glorious form and even now are not ready. But we will be.

The writer of Hebrews makes the case that man was made in image of God and during the time in this world, would be a little lower than the angels. In this world I am to fit. I have glory coming to me, but for now I must live in this world, getting my hands dirty in the work God has given me. In that work I will outwardly be a little lower than the angels, but inside and upon rising to join Christ in heaven, I will be restored to the glory God has for me. I will elevated to equal with the angels and no longer be viewed as lower.

This world is only temporary and my time here is but a little while. I must continue doing the work here in this world and know that I will join Christ in heaven when this time is over. It may feel like “forever” that I am here, at the moment 50 years, but that time is short compared to eternity that I will spend in glory with Christ. I am living the life God has for me as a little lower than angels for now and will have glory forever in just a little while as heir in heaven.

What position do you find yourself in now? Are you aware that you are really “lower than the angels”? What if we look out for the glory we will have later with Christ?

“¹Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ²but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. ³He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” – Hebrews 1:1-4 (ESV)

I have to look somewhere to experience the Glory of God. I have to have a beacon to use as my example. I need someone to emulate in life. That is Jesus. He is as written here in Hebrews, “the radiance of the glory of God”. He was brought to this world as God in my form. He experienced what I experience. He lived as I live. And yet, He was still the Glory of God. He did all for me to the extent of dying for my sins, and I was 2000 years into the future.

Jesus is my example. He is the one to look to for guidance. He is the one to emulate. He is the Glory of God that I am looking for each day. I only need look to Him and be the example He provided for me to be. No, I will not live up to being as Jesus. I will not be perfect and commit no sin. I will not always do or say the right things. Thankfully, I do not have to. Jesus did and my job is to strive to be more like Him. I have to remember that He took care of my failures with His blood on the cross. Jesus is glory.

Where are you looking for glory? Are you seeking acceptance in the world and looking to it for your justification? What if you turned to Jesus for the example of glory?

This morning as I study the word “glory” I am in the book of 1 Timothy. As I read and study in my Bible, I see that I have the following written in the margin of the passage: “Remember the gospel and recall it often to move forward.” I have gone back through my writings since October of 2016 and I do not see that I have studied this passage since then. I do not remember when I wrote in the margin, nor who I would have captured it from. What I do know is that I have not been taking action on that which I wrote.

I have been studying and learning and growing in God’s Word for my whole life of 50 years. Over the past 5 years, I have been sharing my thoughts of my study through this platform or direct email with others. During all of this, it appears that life and the world continue to get in my way of “remembering the gospel” for its purpose of spreading to others.

The passage this morning is:

“¹⁶Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” – 1 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)

I must remember that the gospel is to help me uncover the mystery of godliness. Paul writes of just what is in the gospel and when reading just the six items the mystery is much simpler to decipher. I am to remember these six and work to move myself and others forward closer to God.

Are you making it more complicated than it needs to be? Are you remembering the gospel? What if you simply took the six items written by Paul to simplify the gospel to bring glory?

I have studied and written about the Law of God and how it supersedes the law of man. In that I have not made light of the law of man, only that when following the Law of God, I will by nature uphold the law of man. And if for some reason there is a conflict between the Law of God and the law of man, then I must hold to the Law of God and be subject to the consequences that are due as I go against the law of man. Paul knew this well as noted by the time he spent in prison for upholding the Law of God and His teachings.

“⁸Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, ¹¹in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.” – 1 Timothy 1:9 & 11 (ESV)

This is Paul’s first letter to Timothy and you can see that he is giving Timothy instruction as to the law and how it is to be used. You can see in these two verses that the law is, in and of itself, good, with the caveat “if one uses it lawfully”. It is our responsibility to follow the law of man and be responsible with that law for the glory of God. When we are in accordance with the Glory of God then our ability to follow the law of man is an easier thing to accomplish. We are responsible to be in accordance with the Law of God and by extension we will not break the law of man, unless that law is not in accordance with God.

I purposely did not reference verses 9 and 10 of the same passage as I wanted to draw attention to the theme. We are charged with upholding the Law of God and all that entails. When we do, we are bringing forth the Glory of God to all. We are to be the example of Christ in this world and as we know, Christ upheld the Law of God and by extension also upheld the law of man. So much so that He was crucified, even after being found to not be guilty by Pontius Pilot.

The world does not understand the concept of obedience to the Law of God and how that translates to obedience to the law of man. As we walk among all in this world, it is our role to follow the Law of God in accordance with His Glory, and as we do, others will see that there is something different in us. That sight could lead to their questions to us about what is different and may also lead to their acceptance of Jesus as their personal savior that they may experience that difference themselves.

What are your thoughts about the Law of God and the law of man? Are you just going about things and looking at ways to get around the law? What if you were to hold to the Godly standard and abiding in His Law according to His Glory?

It seems as though I am studying and writing about the same things day over day. God’s Glory provides for us. Where that is true, I am learning more and more each day. I am reminded daily of God’s Glory and all that comes with it. I am applying His Glory to each situation that comes up in my life and am able to overcome those based on what I have studied and learned. This morning is no different.

“⁴When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” – Colossians 3:4 (ESV)

God’s Glory is present in our life with Christ. We are blessed to have him there and leading the way for our movement forward. But, I can only experience His Glory when I have put away all that is against Him and all that does not bring Him glory.

“⁵Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶On account of these the wrath of God is coming.” – Colossians 3:5-6 (ESV)

This world is full of things that go against that which is God. These things get in the way of our experiencing God’s Glory. And it does not stop with just those that are in the above verse.

“⁸But now you must put them away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” – Colossians 3:8 (ESV)

You see, there are so many thing in our lives that get in the way of our experiencing all of God’s Glory. We have those things that need to be overcome for our ability to see and take advantage of the Glory of God in our lives and the lives of those around us. It is important for us to remove all of those things as they are from our past and are our old selves to that they can be replaced by our future, new self.

“⁹Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” – Colossians 3:9-10 (ESV)

All that was me yesterday has to be put off to make way for all that is me today as provided by God and His glory. I have to replace all that old with the new.

“¹²Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” – Colossians 3:12-13 (ESV)

The new self is not an easy thing to put on and adhere to. And it is something that we must work at, but when we do, we are able to experience fully the Glory of God in our lives. More importantly, we are able to be the example of Christ and God’s Glory to those that are around us. We become the extension of God’s Glory in the lives of others that they may also see the old self and desire to put it off and put on the new self and fully experience God’s Glory themselves.

Where are you looking for glory as you move through this world? Are you seeking it in the things that are a part of the old self? What if you were to put on the new self according to the riches provided by God, where would you find yourself then?

I always wonder what is coming next. There is a mystery to tomorrow that I like to believe that most of us would appreciate a sneak peek, or full view, of to take away the anxiety that comes with the unknown. Whereas there is no “crystal ball” to give us that vision, we do have Christ that provides comfort for tomorrow through His Glory.

“²⁷To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” – Colossians 1:27 (ESV)

This morning it took me a bit to understand what it is that God is revealing to me here. My mind was wandering as to how the rest of my day is going to unfold. What twists and turns will I have to negotiate and where will the day lead me as well as end up. I see now that the mystery of the unknown can be somewhat paralytic when things are not taken in stride as they come.

God reveals in His time. The mystery of tomorrow with Christ is really not much of a mystery at all. I have salvation that was provided by His death and resurrection and that salvation gives comfort, when we are aware of and embrace it. I am granted the view into tomorrow by the glory of God and all that He is. I may not know exactly what the day will hold, but I do know that whatever it is, God will take care of me in that so that I will be able to accomplish His task for me and be rewarded in heaven with Him.

What are you anxious about when looking at tomorrow? Are you trying to see all and know all? What if you were simply to accept the salvation and glory of God and allow Him to reveal His Glory to you?

I have written about getting strength and power from God’s glory, and this morning I was reminded that is not all. We get all of our needs met through His glory.

“¹⁸I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. ¹⁹And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:18-19 (ESV)

I read this morning from Philippians where Paul is thanking them for the sacrificial gifts they sent to him. He was grateful for their fulfillment of his need even as he was not in their presence and sent the gift with Epaphroditus to be delivered. And Paul did not just leave it at the heaping of thanks on them, he let them know and reminded them that for their work and giving, God would supply to their needs, not just some of them, but “every need of yours”.

I do not deserve the love and gifts that God has for me, but He gives them anyway. For the work and sacrifice I undertake here in this world, God attends to my needs. No, not my wants, but my needs, and that is what I have to remember and focus on each day in my walk. I have to remember that God will not let me go without as long as it is something that I cannot move forward without. My needs are a return gift for the sacrifice and adversity that I endure here in this world for doing the work God has for me in His plan. It is a gift that He does not have to give, but wants to and does freely to show me His love.

My supply is overflowing with the grace of God. I may not find myself high on the mountain of worldly success or be lavished in gold and fine jewels, but my needs are taken care of thanks to God and his abundant grace and glory.

When looking out at the supply for your needs, where are you looking? Are you seeking to find the supply from the world? What if we all were to simply do the work of God through sacrifice and know that our “every need” will be supplied from Him “according to His riches in glory”?