Glory in the Highest
Southern Saskatchewan was blanketed in rime ice a few weeks ago; the beauty was breathtaking. Our little world was cloaked in the most mesmerizing white dazzle of ice for days on end. Many photographers, professional and backyard enthusiasts including me, captured the beauty of the icy backdrop. The weather continued like this for days on end, inspiring us with its beauty each morning and as it continued, the ice became thicker and thicker. It became so thick that it filled in some of the wire squares on the sheep fence in our pastures. In my forty-six years, I do not recall seeing such thick ice forming on outdoor fences and trees.
As Holy Spirit frequently does, He spoke to me from the pictures of the landscape and took me to a subject in the scriptures we don’t often speak about except at Christmastime... the glory of God. At Christmas, we sing songs with the lyrics “glory to God in the highest.” In the true account of Jesus’ birth, the angels praised God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to men.” Once the Christmas season is over, we go back to our daily lives and forget about “the Glory.” However, I am convinced if we actually knew what the glory of God was, we’d never live ordinary lives again. We give reverence to God when we say “Glory to God.” But did you know, His glory is for our good, too? “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” The glory of God is His goodness, simple as that. It is His weighty presence. It is His magnificence. And it is for us! Just as that rime ice became so thick (and even too heavy for some branches and power lines), God’s glory is like that for us. He wants to shine His light, His power, His peace, His joy out of us! As we become so God-inside minded, we will be transformed from darkness to light. This is life-changing. We don’t ever have to live normal, everyday lives again. If we really believed this and walked it out, our lives would never be the same again. God wants to manifest His glory through us. Habakkuk 2:14 says “The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.” This is not some pie-in-thesky idea. This means that the glory of God (all His goodness) will flow out of us! Sadly, we have not made a big enough deal of the glory of God. We don’t see it around us and within us because we don’t make enough of His glory that is available to us as believers. “Father, I ask that You reveal yourself to these dear readers. May they have revelation of what Your glory is and how they can operate in it. Show us Your Glory, Lord. Show us Your goodness during this Christmas season. Let us manifest Your goodness to those around who are needing encouraged, built up and given love and hope. Amen.” Spend some quiet time reading about God’s glory and ask Him to reveal His weighty presence and peace in your life. Just as I was captivated by the fine artistry and majesty of the dazzling rime ice castle that was all around, let us be captivated by the glory and goodness of Almighty God this season. Scripture references: 2 Corinthians 4:6