Tapping into the Lord’s glory

Sunday, 28 February 2021 05:33

Tapping into the Lord’s glory - Taiwo Akinola

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And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them ... (John 17:22).

Introduction:

From glory to glory! That is God’s primordial passion for His Church and for each new creation man upon the earth (Haggai 2:9). The Christian man is God’s House of glory (Isaiah 60:7). Hence, we are outfitted to glow from glory to glory.

God’s glory is a big deal in the Bible, and it must be so to all who desire to please God and to experience His glory on earth. Meanwhile, it is quintessential that we understand the subject of God’s glory in order to actually tap into it. However, setting forth a precise definition of God’s glory is not an easy venture, and attempting to crystallize its essence is certainly an onerous task.

God is in a class by Himself. He has infinite perfections, infinite greatness, and infinite worth, and hence, whereas God’s glory is a concept that we are truly aware of, unfortunately, we are unable to fully describe it.

In its ordinary usage, glory talks of brightness, lustre, splendour and magnificence, which define the true weight, nature or attribute of a thing. Apostle Paul hinted us that glory comes in weights, which suggests that the glory of God is infinitely weighty (2 Corinthians 4:17).

The glory of God is not just a feeling, an event or an experience. It is a spiritual expression of everything contained in the character of God, His manifest beauty, and the going-public of His holiness. God’s glory is the source and sum of all full and lasting joy; it is the goal of all things, and the unifying goal of history.

The Nexus Between God’s Glory and His Goodness

God’s glory conveys the idea of physical manifestation of dignity, preeminence or majesty. It is the possession and characteristic of the Almighty God, and is given by Him at His pleasure to His people or to anything that is connected with Him (2 Peter 1:16-18; Matthew 6:29).

The glory of God is shown to the sons of men through His good works (Exodus 33:18-21). In other words, the glory of God is best articulated in His gracious works in the lives of men (Ps.19:1). It is the atmosphere in which God reveals Himself or manifests His presence to His people.

Now, more than just a presence, God’s glory depicts His power! The kind of power that resurrects, delivers, overcomes and transforms lives and destinies. It is greater and stronger than any other power in existence. And, happily, it belongs to us (Isaiah 60:1-3).

Tapping Into the Lord’s Glory Today

Some people feel like the glory of God is untouchable and unreachable. But, it is freely available to His children every time and everywhere. In fact, if you are His child, that glory resides inside you right now (Colossians 1:27).

The Lord’s glory is most fully displayed ‘in the face of Jesus Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4:6). God said to Moses, ‘stand upon the Rock’ and you will experience the glory (Exodus 33:21). Jesus Christ is that Rock of our salvation today. Therefore, turning to Him and maintaining our stand with Him works the miracle (2 Corinthians 3:16).

Meanwhile, there are basic steps of faith by which any believer can tap into more of God’s glory. And, looking up to God by faith is primary in this regard. Just like anything in the kingdom of God, it takes faith to see a manifestation of God’s glory. If we are not expecting to see it, we probably won’t.

The glory of God, Shekinah glory, is a visible power (Exodus 24:17; Habakkuk 3:4). David said he looked up to God and glorious help showed up for him (Psalm 121:1). And, Stephen too gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God (Acts 7:55). If we will look well enough for it by faith, we also can see those same manifestations of God’s glory today.

Furthermore, we must pray for the Lord’s glory if we desire to fully tap into it. Prayer shines the spotlight on God’s attributes of goodness and omnipotence. The Lord encourages and invites us to pray to experience His glory (Psalm 50:15; John 14:13). We must diligently ask and seek for it to be revealed.

Moses saw the glory of God when he prayed (Exodus 33:18). And Esther too. Each believer has the ability to manifest God’s glory here on earth, but we must pray in faith (John 11:40). When we pray the glory into the earth, miracles, signs and wonders will occur in the Church and in our personal lives.

Very importantly, in order to experience the fullness of God’s glory, we must embrace the Spirit-empowered lifestyle. The real focus of the Holy Spirit Who indwells us is to liberate us from our past attachments and bring us to our desired change (2 Corinthians 3:17-18; 1 Samuel 10:6). Therefore, we must fully cooperate with the Holy Spirit in all ramifications — in obedience, in holiness, in faithfulness, in sacrificial living, etc. — to see His adorable glory in our rising.

Glorifying God is not a mantra or a special hyperbolic phrase. Rather, it is a lifestyle that reflects the attributes of God, and is passionate about putting His glory on display, letting it shine before men so that others will join us in glorifying our Father-God (Matt 5:14-16).

No doubt, living a life that adorns God’s attributes puts His glory on display (John 15:8). In particular, the glory of God increases in direct proportion to how we walk in love (Galatians 5:6).

Again, tapping into the Lord’s glory and maintaining its lustres in our lives require that we walk in it on a continuous basis. The glory of God always looks for dedicated dwelling places.

The dwelling place for God’s glory in the Old Testament was the tabernacle, but the Holy Spirit builds a temple in every believer under the New Covenant (1 Corinthians 3:16). We are God’s Tabernacle, today. Only that the tabernacle is no longer a fixed house. Now, it can walk around, preach the gospel and live to the ultimate glory of God!

The believers didn’t go back to their normal routine lives when they experienced the glory of God at Pentecost. They became separate from the world and lived as light in the midst of darkness. They went out, preached, worked miracles, and turned the world upside down for Jesus Christ. And, the Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:47). Brethren, that is the glory we should be operating in!

In truth and in all spiritual reality, there is glory in your feet, and that is what gives you the power to tread on Satan and his minions (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15). When you walk in the glory of God, preaching the gospel and winning souls into God’s kingdom, you have a fire in you that the devil cannot withstand (Ephesians 6:15).

Friends and brethren, as you make a regular practice of all these above, becoming more God-inside-minded, acting consistently as a true temple of the Lord, and giving Him thanks in all things, His glory shall indeed distinguish you upon the earth. Happy Sunday!