Have you ever wondered how you can experience God’s glory in a greater way? Put yourself in the story with Jesus! The disciples who met Jesus in person had an opportunity to behold the glory of God first hand, face to face. They wrote about it. What “God” stories can you talk about?
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth….And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:14-17).
The rest of us may not think we have the same opportunity, but in all actuality we do! Actually, we have a greater opportunity! We have something those who may have seen Him physically didn’t have: His recorded words and Holy Spirit imparted within our own body.
RELEVANCE
Think of it like going to a sports event in a huge stadium. We may be there, but we can’t see the action or details close up, and (unless they have one of those new huge video screens) we don’t get to see the replays.
Today we have more grace to learn greater truth. You can read His recorded words, and have access to all kinds of resources to come to greater understanding of truth. Today we can experience His presence close up! We also have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to guide and instruct us continually. We have the opportunity to truly behold His glory as we “sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:6).
The opportunity is there. We have the choice to seize it; and give God the glory by talking about it. I’ll never forget the time we were having gatherings in our home, and somebody who had come for the first time was so amazed to hear us talking about all the things God had been doing. He exclaimed, “I’ve never been in a place where people talk about God the way you do.” It’s a shame. God wants to be involved in our lives in a real way so we appreciate Him and glorify Him. I love when I get text messages, emails and see stories on facebook of testimonies that glorify God.
Even Moses knew long before Jesus showed up on the scene how accessible God’s grace and truth is that we should experience it.
“For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it” (Deuteronomy 30:11-14).
REFLECT AND RELATE
We have a huge opportunity and challenge: if God’s words are so near—in our mouth and heart—how can we “do it?” It’s called applied faith. Read and meditate on the scriptures below.
REFERENCES
Proverbs: 2:1-7; 22:17-21; 23:12