Week 52: The Glory of God
Weekly Reading:
I Peter 1 -
Revelation 22
Opening Prayer
Father God,
You are glorious. Holy, Holy, Holy are You Father. Forever You will reign. Father, open our eyes and hearts to Your provision and Your love for us. Let Your word remains supreme in our lives.
Amen
Study
What will we do when we are confronted with God's glory? Would we shrink down overwhelmed by our sin like Isaiah (Isaiah 6:5)? Will we cover our face in fear like Moses (Exodus 3:6)? Or fall to the ground like we were dead as John did (Revelation 1:17)?
The description of God can be awe-inspiring, overwhelming, and/or difficult to comprehend because we have not experienced anything as glorious in our world.
"When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance."
Revelation 1:12-16 NLT
"The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow."
Revelation 4:3 NLT
"It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven's Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!"
Isaiah 6:1-3 NLT
God is pure brilliance. Nothing exists beyond the glory of God. God's glory is further described in the letters to the seven churches
"Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands: "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive: "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum. This is the message from the one with the sharp two-edged sword: "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze:"
Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18 NLT
"Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: "I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open: "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's new creation:"
Revelation 3:1, 7, 14 NLT
The source of God's glory was so great that those in his presence could do nothing but sing His praise all day and night
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come."
Revelation 4:8 NLT
"You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased."
Revelation 4:11 NLT
We see God's glory in the everyday miracles all around us: newborn babies and the miracle of birth, the vast number of stars in the sky, and the beauty of what love can do to transform each of us.
God's glory must be breathtaking. We cannot imagine John's task of describing it in written form.
As we end this year and begin to focus on the next, how beautiful is it to focus on the glory of God and the hope of his heavenly kingdom?
Closing Prayer
Father God,
You have blessed us immensely over the past year. You have opened our eyes to Your word and Your glory. You have deepened our understanding and widened our love. Father, Your majesty inspires us to love more deeply and continue our quest to learn more about Your amazing plan for each of us. Father, continue to teach us and provide for our needs.
Amen
Homework
What plans do you have to learn more about God's plan for You this year? Do you have a Bible reading schedule?
