MARCH 26, 2010

WHAT IS GOD'S GLORY?

Scripture Reading- Psalm 19:1-6

Perhaps one of the most glorious events in our nation is the inauguration of the president of the United States. Gathered on such an occasion are dignitaries of every stripe. Crowds of citizens gather, bands play, prayers are prayed, and songs are sung as we observe the swearing in of our president every four years.

This event is a glorious one because it embodies truth about what has made the United States a great nation. Here, after an election, the most powerful nation on earth changes leadership without a single shot being fired!

What an immeasurably glorious sight must be the vision of the God of heaven! But what do we mean when we speak of "God's glory" or of the glory of anything? Authors have written volumes, seeking to define God's glory adequately. God is such a great God that no description can suffice. Examining God's Word, we learn that we can express "God's glory" as the external demonstration of an inward quality. God is glorious because of who God is.

The glory of a winning team of athletes is not in the beauty of their uniforms, in the impressiveness of their home stadium, or in the enthusiasm of the cheering squad. The glory of the winning athletes lies in the internal quality that brought them to the place of victory. It is long hours of hard practice, careful planning, and skillful plays worked out in detail and learned through discipline. It is the interaction as athletes work together.

"Glory" is only an outward manifestation of what's true inside. People may try to look glorious, but the appearance is not true glory unless there is that inner working of quality behind it.

God is all-glorious. Everything within Him and about Him is above and beyond all else. His glory demands our worship, and part of His glory is that such a One would desire it.

SELAH: As you ponder the glory of God as revealed in creation ( Ps. 19 ), consider whether He receives from your life the worship that is rightfully His.

-T.P. Johnston, Jr.-