God should receive glory through the lives we live for Him. Questions arise: “How does glory appear to God, and how is it measured?” In life, God answers our prayers but, in Heaven, what will matter is the glory that came to Him through the manner in which we lived.
God is a God of priorities. And, when we pray, we also construct an “A” list. However, God may decide that our priorities may bring glory to us, but not to Him.
“How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear You, which You bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in You,” says David (Psalm 31:19).
God has things in store for those who fear Him, and gives glory in the sight of those taking refuge in Him.
Old Testament law was wonderful because, while it condemned, it also pointed toward Christ. In the New Testament, Christ came and gave to us a method to “Measure the Glory” in faith. By faith, we are justified and made righteous in God’s sight. Faith brings us into the presence of God, and His presence fills us with Glory.
When Moses descended from Mt. Sinai with the Commandments, his face was filled with the glory of being in God’s presence (Exodus 34:29-35). God’s glory shone so bright upon him that Moses was forced to wear a veil to avoid terrifying his people. In II Corinthians (3:7-11), Paul contrasted the glory of the Ten Commandments with that of the New Covenant.
The Old Covenant was written upon tablets of stone; the New Covenant is written in our hearts. Imagine how glorious is the New Covenant, when our hearts are filled with faith in God.
When we become Christians, Christ removes a veil from us. In II Corinthians (3:16), He promises us eternal life, if we keep His laws. The New Covenant shows us that we, unveiled and saved, are like mirrors, reflecting God’s glory.
We show faith in God when we believe that He can do what He says. Last week, we witnessed a generational miracle, when people of all colors turned from a racist history and voted for Barack Obama, who has become the presumptive presidential candidate of the Democratic Party. Glory to God! When our prayers for miracles (like those resting upon the fortunes of John Edwards, Mike Huckabee, and Hillary Clinton) don’t get answered, it may be because God sees greater glory and eternal dividends by providing a different response.
I remain intrigued by Beth Moore’s book, Believing God, in which she reminds us; through Lazarus’s story that, “God is often gloried through miracles that bless us temporarily.” In
Lazarus, we see death as temporary. According to John (11:40), as Martha grieved, Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” Christ used the death of Lazarus to reveal God’s glory.
We mustn’t assume to know how God will be glorified. Our duty is to pray and to allow the sovereign, the all-wise and all-seeing God, “Measure the Glory.”
What does “Measuring the Glory” have to do with priorities? According to Revelation (19:7), the chief responsibility of the church, the bride of Christ, is to prepare for the bridegroom’s arrival. Jesus is coming back, looking for a pure Bride. We must keep ourselves righteous and make clean our abiding faith. God’s eyes are upon our eternal motives, not just the internal desires of our hearts. Sometimes, God prioritizes the miracles of our hearts and minds over those of our circumstances.
The Rev. Dr. R. Joaquin Willis is pastor of the Church of the Open Door at 6001 NW 8th Ave., Miami. To contact the church, call 305-759-0373 or email the pastor at pastoropendoorc@bellsouth.net.
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