2023-10-20
Good Morning Dear Ones,
I have often said that I’m deeply in love with the Scriptures. If you’ve been reading my weekly devotions, this comes as no surprise. And yes, it’s my hope the same thing will happen to you too if it hasn’t already. When you spend daily time in the word of God, you begin to see something very true and yet, very supernatural about the Bible that isn’t experienced with any other book. This is true even if some other book reflects the wisdom of God by it’s author or can be found to be immensely entertaining. This supernatural quality from my experience studying the Bible (both testaments) over the last 55 years is that you always learn something new from the Lord no matter how many times you return to a particular Scripture or passage. 2 TIM 3: 16-17 tells us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” What does it mean to be God-breathed? Although there are human authors for every book in the Scriptures, they are inspired by our Lord, whether it’s the Father, the Son [Jesus], or the Holy Spirit.
Having said all of this, the Holy Spirit has commanded me to continue writing about glory. Last week, I defined this intangible and admirable series of traits that God has and is willing to share with those righteous victors over sin (true believers). This sharing can happen after their physical death, as they have gained eternal life with Him. This week, I want to share meanings for glory from the book of Revelation. They are given to us in songs that are sung in heaven. REV 4: 8b, the Ter Sanctus: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty; Who was, and is, and is to come.” REV 4: 11, Creation “You are worthy, our Lord God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being.” REV 5: 9-10, Redemption: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom of priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” REV 5: 12, The Seven-fold Doxology: “Worthy is the Lamb, Who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” REV 5: 13b, The Four-fold Doxology: “To Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever.” These songs sung in heaven acknowledge what God deserves from us in a nutshell.
Certainly, one doesn’t have to wait till he reads the Revelation the Lord gave to the apostle John to find instruction on what God deserves. We gain insight into the reasons why God created the heavens and the earth in the first place. PS 19: 1-4a, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their words to the ends of the world.” The enormity of God’s capability to create can’t be missed by those who see what He has created in the out of doors. Enjoy reading these beautiful words to describe what the Lord God has done. 1 CH 16: 23-27, “Sing to the Lord, all the earth, proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deed among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods. For the gods of all nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy are in His dwelling place…” [Please consider the joy to you if you read on through vs. 36]. Since David wrote the first 72 Psalms, we can begin to understand why God called him “a man after my own heart” in 1 SAM 13:14 and in AC 13: 22. When you read PS 8: 1-9—incredibly beautiful words we all need to read and hear.
PRAYER: O Lord, You are a most magnificent and majestic God. You created the heavens, the earth, and everything in them. No human could ever do that! Your wisdom, power, glory, strength, honor, love, and honor are immeasurable! We acknowledge that and so much more that is righteous and wonderful that are Your qualities. Yet You humbled Yourself by sending “the visible image of yourself, Jesus Christ, the Lamb that was slain, to us to help us through His teaching to know You better and to take that “rocky, difficult road through the narrow gate” [MT 7: 13-14] to eternal life. Our Lord Jesus came as a pauper, a mendicant rabbi, not as the King He is, dressed in royal robes. He teaches us a better way to live than making material things an idol. MT 6: 24-26, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” You are to be praised and thanked for all time to come. We offer this prayer in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: The Holy Spirit was giving me this teaching on glory so copiously, that it was hard to stop at the end of today’s devotion! But I’ve not forgotten to write down what to begin with next week. We will look at how God is Light and what light and darkness mean in the Scriptures. My heart is so full at His generosity. Our God loves us so much that I find He has incalculable patience and love for us. Remember, “Nothing and no one can separate us from the love of God,” RO 8: 38-39. God’s patience for serial sinning does indeed have a limit. But most of us wouldn’t be that foolish. God wants us to know Him as best we can, and He has given us plenty of Scriptural food upon which to nourish ourselves and others. Wouldn’t it be great is all humans could recognize this? I pray that you are on the edge of your seat, eager to learn more that the Holy Spirit has for us about God’s glory and that He could share with each of us. I know I am!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn, JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2023. All Rights Reserved.
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