Glory to Glory
How can we pray for you today?
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
You are being transformed into the likeness of Christ, from glory to glory. What is glory? Glory is honor, renown, and splendor in abundant, copious amounts. It’s heavy and thick and all consuming. That’s still hard to grasp, and even harder to apply to our lives, but let’s try and break it down.
Examples are always good when defining difficult words. So what is glory?
- Glory is what filled the temple – there was no more room in it (2 Chronicles 7).
- Glory is what will fill the earth, like water fills a sea (Habakkuk 2:14).
- Glory is the light that shone off of Moses’ face after he spoke with God (Exodus 34:35).
So how do we practically move from one degree of glory to the next? Here are some ways:
1. There is glory in seeking God (Prov. 25:2)
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, not to frustrate us, but to spur us on to investigate him. When we dive into a matter that God has hidden Himself in, glory waits. Think about the potential for finding God in our everyday lives! Desiring glory is not vanity, nor is it selfishness, it is simply seeking God’s presence. “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:6) Find a hidden glory today.
2. There is glory in humility before God (Prov. 18:12)
Humility comes before glory. As we draw closer to God, the dark corners of our life that house pride and selfishness are exposed. We were created to experience the glory of God, but we need the humility to carry it. Case in point? The Israelites, after they had left Egypt and had been given parting gifts from the Egyptians, used their gold to fashion an idol, which they worshiped instead of the glory of God. We need humility to rightly receive the glory.
3. There is glory in tribulation (2 Cor. 4:17)
One of the ways God teaches humility is through tribulation. 2 Corinthians 4:17 says, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” We experience painful trials in this fallen world, but tribulation does something unique: it eliminates plan B. Oh, yes, we can choose to turn away from God, but pain often creates a watershed moment –we turn to God or we turn away. So what can we do in the face of tribulation? Experience the glory of saying “Yes and Amen” to God (for an example of this unconditional praise, see Habakkuk 3).
4. There is glory in God’s presence
Hopefully this is painfully obvious by now, but God’s presence is glorious. He will one day fill the earth with His glory, and in the meantime, He is doing it through us. Seek to bring God’s kingdom to earth. May we invite the thickness of glory to reside in our homes and work places.
And we, with unveiled faces, are being transformed into the image of God, from glory to glory.
Glory in the search.
Glory in humility.
Glory in trials.
Glory in His presence.
God, I want to see your glory. Reveal yourself to me. Amen.
Question: Where do you most often find the glory of God?
