What is “the glory of God?” Earlier we summarized the
glory of God is a revelation of His essence.
Today I want to consider the power behind “all the goodness “ of God.
Lets reflect on this:
“I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call
out my name, Yahweh, before you”
Exodus 33:19
Yahweh (YHWH),
also translated Jehovah, is the same "I AM" God of the burning bush
when Moses was called to deliver Israel (Exodus 3:14). Throughout the
Bible there are multiple names for God, all describing different attributes of his nature, character, personality, and
redemptive purpose for creation. Here, God intends for His name YHWH to be
associated with the clearest revelation of His essence.
“All my
goodness” refers to the indescribable power of God Almighty (El Elyon) who
creates ex nihilo,
something from nothing. By His sheer will, He speaks and the entire created
cosmos are fashioned. The God of the biblical narrative is not wimpy or weak,
although contemporary culture shows very little respect for the Creator of the
universe.
There is a sense
of weight or authority that accompanies the glory of God. The Hebrew
word translated as “glory”, Kabhodh or kabowd, means “weight or heaviness.” It
expresses the idea of a noticeable perception of dignity, preeminence, majesty,
splendor or honor.
God’s majesty is
self evident in nature, a truth some theologians would call general
revelation. (BTW - The
word of God contained in the Holy Scriptures we can refer to as divine
revelation.)
“the heavens
declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands”. Psalm 19:1
A visible, reoccurring aspect of God’s power, majesty and
splendor is revealed through the beauty of nature and creation. This is the handiwork of God.
I’m a sky watcher. I like clouds and sunsets. I love to see
the sun rise. It’s almost a spiritual experience for me. A lot of times I’ll post a sunrise or
sky pic on my Facebook page. If I choose, meditating on the sky will turn my
attention to God. “You set Your glory above the heavens … When I consider
the work of Your hands, the moon and stars You set in place ..” Psalm 8
God wants to be considered. (so does my wife, but that’s another story …) Meditation
on God. Contemplation of who He is. Interacting with His Word and Spirit in our
lives. This is part of our love language with God. It’s way more than “quiet
time “ or fulfilling a daily-bible-reading obligation. It’s the path to a
renewed mind, a transformed personality – a bright spirit.
Earlier we discovered experiencing His glory begins with
personal relationship. Question – Can building my history with God, working on
this relationship, really make a difference in my life?
Well, duh, yea. I think that’s something I've learned today. The power of God, “all my goodness”,
is more than enough. The same glory of God displayed in the heavens is the same
glory He wants to display through you and me. He will do that by His power working within, changing us from the inside out.
"21
Days of Glory" is an exploration of the glory of God - March 1 - March 21. I’m
sharing what I learn along the way.
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