Monday, July 1, 2019

Seeing the Lord's Glory - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 97:2-6,

"Clouds and thick darkness surround him [the Lord]; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all peoples see his glory."

Here is a description of the Lord, rich in beauty and splendor with reference to his creation. As we view his creation, we gain a reflection of what he is like. Like all creators, a creation says something or points to something or reflects something of its creator.

In this psalm, the psalmist makes these observations relative to his creation:

Clouds and thick darkness surround the Lord, verse 2.
Fire goes before him (consuming his foes), verse 3.
The Lord's lightning lights up the world (the earth sees at trembles at it), verse 4.
Mountains melt like wax before the Lord, verse 5.

Also observed by the psalmist:

The Lord reigns, verse 1.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne, verse 2.
The heavens proclaim the Lord's righteousness, veres 6.
All peoples see his glory, verse 6.
The Lord's judgments brings rejoicing and gladness, verse 8.
The Lord is the "Most High over all the earth", verse 9.
The Lord guards and delivers his faithful ones, verse 10.
The Lord's name is holy, verse 12.

These truly are wonderful observations about the Lord. A comment the psalmist makes has me wondering though, "all peoples see his glory." I am quite certain every last individual who has ever lived will see the Lord's glory at some point. Some, who refuse to recognize the Lord's glory in this life will do so in the next. "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.'" Romans 14:11.

However, there are many of us who chose to see the Lord's glory in this life. How blessed we are!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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