Given A Glimpse Of God’s Glory

Given A Glimpse Of God’s Glory

An angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.” –Luke 2:9, 13-14

It is easy for us to believe that reality extends only as far as our senses can take us. But there is an ultimate reality in this universe far beyond what we can see. Only occasionally has God seen fit to give mortals a glimpse of what is beyond this world. God did this for a group of shepherds who were spending the night underneath the stars. After four hundred long years of silence, God broke into the darkness of our natural world with his radiant beauty, drawing back the curtain of heaven so the shepherds could see what had been there all along but hidden from human view.

It was as if heaven was bursting at the seams to let the glory of God loose on the earth, anxious to invade our existence with holy light and heavenly favor. Into a world deceived by lies, diminished by enslavement, and disillusioned by philosophy, a chorus of angels proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest!” The phrase may fall flat on our dull modern ears, but in truth, the glory of God remains the most relevant message this hurting world has ever heard. It reinforces to us that God reigns supreme and will not allow evil to ultimately succeed in this world. It assures us that God is active in this world in ways we cannot see, and it reassures us that God is guiding history toward a God-glorifying conclusion. The angels started their message with “Glory to God” because they knew that God’s glory is the context in which everything significant in this world is set. It is the foundation for finding meaning in what seems meaningless. This is the best news ever heard by human ears—that God is God and that his glory is supreme and sure, over and above everything, the righteous foundation for real and pervasive peace.

Will you open your ears to hear the message of the angels in the darkness of your difficulty? The glory of God may sound irrelevant at first, but the more you explore and experience it, the more you will discover it is the answer to your most perplexing questions, the object of your most profound longing.

Glorious Savior, would you break through the darkness in my world so I can see you at work behind the scenes, offering me your peace and your presence? Your glory is the supreme objective and sure foundation of my life.

DIGGING DEEPER