This guest post is from Eileen Knowles. She’s a thoughtful writer whose reflections help us reflect even deeper, as well, and see the hope and glory in everyday moments. Read on for her guest post.
This morning I was looking at the passages in John 17 when Jesus prays for all believers before he is arrested and sent to the cross. The verse that caught my eye today was this one: “Father I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you have loved me before the creation of the world.” (John 17:24)
When I think of the idea of seeing God’s glory, I think of something that is too good and too beautiful to put into words. I think of something that touches you in such a way that the encounter changes you forever. You may attempt to explain it to others but your description and your retelling of the splendor you just witnessed seems to fall terribly short. Our words don’t seem adequate.
It’s like visiting the Grand Canyon for the first time. You may take a ton of pictures in hopes of capturing the moment but none of the pictures turn out looking as breathtaking as the view you personally witnessed when you stood there on that ledge. But, just because you may lack the ability to fully explain the moment to others, doesn’t make the moment any less real in your heart. You saw what you saw. You experienced what you experienced…and your perception is now different because of this beauty that briefly wrapped itself completely around your heart.
In an effort to try to blog about the unexplainable this morning, I did a little research on the idea of catching a glimpse of God’s glory. I came across this quote from John Bevere discussing the moment in Exodus when Moses asked this of God: “Please, show me Your glory.” (Exodus 33:18)
“Then God says, “I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you.” Before an earthly king enters the throne room, his name is always announced by proclamation. Then he enters in his splendor. The king’s greatness is revealed, and in his court there is no mistake as to who is king. If this monarch were on the street of one of the cities of his nation dressed in ordinary clothes, without any attendants, he might be passed by without those around him realizing his actual identity. So in essence, this is exactly what God did for Moses. He is saying, “I will proclaim My own name and pass by you in all My splendor.”~ John Bevere
I love this…”there is no mistake as to who is king.” That’s what a glimpse of God’s glory is capable of accomplishing. It solidifies the truth in our hearts. We are in the presence of greatness. There is no denying who He is. Our spiritual eyes awakened with the briefest of glimpses.
I don’t know what you might be struggling with today. I don’t know if you are up a mountaintop like Moses or sitting in one of those pits that David talks about so often in the Psalms. However, I do know this: One brief glance, one encounter with His goodness is powerful enough to change everything.
Dear Father, help us to remember that the prayer Jesus prayed 2000 years ago still applies today. Just as you loved your Son before the creation of the world…you love us. No matter what our circumstances might be, the glory of who you are never changes. Come into our situations today, Father. Help us to see You in such a way that there is not a shred of doubt who is KING!
Eileen Knowles is a recovering perfectionist who continues to learn the beauty of stepping out from behind the mask and admitting how much she is in need of God’s grace every single day. She blogs at The Scenic Route. You can follow her on Twitter. Her book, A Mistake Maker’s Manifesto, can be downloaded here.
Good post, and the comparison with the Grand Canyon is intriguing.
For me, the “peak experience”, like the Grand Canyon, is ultimately empty, because the scale and scope are so inhuman that I have no place in it.
Definitely not the way God shows His glory for me; the glory that develops the personal relationship is writ small, and fragile. The dewdrop on the grass, the heartachingly lovely song of a thrush in the hour before dawn, the quick turn of the butterfly’s wing.
The cold nose of a lost and frightened puppy, and the gratitude of a fatally wounded comrade, dying safe in my arms.
These are the Glory, for me.
Loved your thoughts, Andrew. You shared them so beautifully. I think it’s not the peak experience itself of the Grand Canyon that reminds me of His glory it’s our attempts to explain that breathtaking beauty/experience to someone else. Like you said, it’s deeply and uniquely personal and there’s no adequate way of explaining it someone else. Encounters require us to be there.
Beautiful way of putting this, Eileen. I get this experience in my mountains, with a really well-written phrase, with joy/love my children show. These little experiences remind me over and over again (and I need to be reminded over and over again). Merry Christmas, friend.