Monday, March 15, 2010

Shine

I love to feel the warmth of the sun on my face. On a good fall or spring afternoon, even on a hot summer day it feels good to tilt my face to feel the sun. Here in GA, we haven't really seen the sun since, well..... August. We have had a few days here and there when the sun has shown and it really makes a difference. I hear everybody say how much they miss the sun lately. It is amazing how the absence of the sun affects us all so much! This morning I was out pruning some bushes and my crepe myrtle and was so wishing I could tilt my face up to feel the sun. Maybe tomorrow. At least it is something to look forward to---a little sunshine!

Ashlie started Bible Study last week asking us to define glory in reference to God. We said things like "recognition, essence, praise, and adoration." She said it is one of those "churchy" words we use sometimes that is hard to pinpoint the exact meaning even though we get it in our head. She gave us two definitions, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. Glory is mainly used as a verb in the OT as "kabad." In reference to God it means to be heavy or weighty. It is God revealing who He is, His heaviness, His presence. It is used 106 times this way in the OT. In the NT, glory is used as a noun "doxa" in view, opinion, magnificence, and preeminence of Christ. It is used 150 times in the NT in this way. So how does this glory work in our sanctification?

We always say things like "give God the glory" or "to God be the glory" or "glorify Him." God already has the glory. He is the glory. What can we give Him? Ashlie reminded us that we represented God's glory before the fall of man. We were made in His image. Now that we have sinned, we have lost it. We distorted it in us. He still has it but the only way we can share in it, reveal it, is through our relationship with Christ. The precious righteousness He gives us when we surrender to Him reveals Himself to others. It is nothing we can do on our own because of our darkness, but it is His glory that shines as He is changing us to be more like Him, the way we were meant to be.

My sweet sister gave me some precious words last week. After she read my post she reminded me of something I need in my relationship with Christ. She told me to read John 13:1-15. It is the passage where Christ washes His disciples feet before Judas betrays Him. When Christ gets to Peter, Peter tells Him, "You shall never wash my feet." (v.8) He didn't understand the humility in Christ. My sister reminded me that even though this passage teaches me how to serve others, I must also remember that Christ wants to wash my feet. That I need to sit in His presence and bask in His glory. That I love Him because He first loved me. I want so badly to remove the rust from the bucket and be sanctified I get focused on doing, doing, doing. I forget that God wants to polish me. That I don't "need" to do anything. Sometimes He wants me to be still and sit at His feet. He makes me shiny. That is why He has me quiet and wants me to rest.
Thanks sis for seeing things I forget.

The glory we have is given to us by God. We need to reflect Him and give it back. We need His glory to overcome our darkness.

Tilt your face to feel the warmth of the Son.
There are a lot of days we don't see the Son.
There are a lot of people who are missing the Son lately.
The Son really makes a difference.
It is amazing how the absence of the Son affects us all so much.
Don't wait until tomorrow. Bask in His glory today.

I pray that you will feel they heaviness, weightiness, presence, view, magnificence, and preeminence of God's glory.
It is His. It is Him. He is the Son.

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26. Aaron's blessing given to Moses by God.

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