Dear Ones:
In one of Moses’ prayers, he specifically asks God: “Let Your work appear unto Your servants, and Your glory unto their children.” (Ps. 90:16) Why does He ask this in the context of “numbering our days, that we may present unto You a heart of wisdom?” (v. 12) It is because, “…without a vision, the people perish.”(Prov. 29:18) The vision, or rather the true perception of reality, (in this case…God), is essential if faith is to rise above all that would stand in opposition against it. Elisha needed to see the chariots of fire in order to believe God for the double portion of His Spirit. We need to see the greatness, power and authority of God, if we would believe Him for His highest and best. In the Psalmist’s prayer, he writes: “My soul thirsts for You…to SEE Your power and Your glory, so as I have seen You in the sanctuary.” (Ps. 63:1-2) Seeing the glory of God, the manifested attributes of God, is essential to living a life of faith, for how can we believe Him for the great and small things if, in our eyes, He is not “able” to meet the need?
What does it mean, to SEE the glory of God? First of all, we know that when Moses asked to see it, the Lord revealed HIMSELF. He made “…all His goodness…” pass before Moses. (Ex. 33:19) Moses saw the glory of God’s goodness…pure goodness!!! When Jesus told Martha, in the face of the death and burial of Lazarus, that she needed to believe to “…see the glory of God,” she did not grasp fully what He meant. Jesus then commands Lazarus, who was dead, to arise and come forth from the tomb. This he did. What was the “glory” that was seen? It was the manifest “goodness and power” of God. It was the unveiling of the attributes of God…and this, very quietly. What is it that we need to see? We need to see God’s hand, His heart, His mind, His love and power. We need to see His goodness…His absolute goodness. The greater the vision of WHO and WHAT He is, the greater will faith be, to trust Him, to lay hold of Him.
In conclusion, we discover in the book of Hebrews a verse that sums up this matter. The writer tells us that we are to run a race set before us. Having cast aside all weight and the sin that would so easily beset us, we are to LOOK UNTO JESUS. Our gaze is to be fixed on Christ, on WHO and WHAT He is. Why? Because He is “..the author and finisher of faith.” (Heb. 12:2) It is as we behold His glory “in the sanctuary,” seeing His power and glory, that faith rises up to believe Him for the full out working of His will in and through us. Then His purposes shall be realized, and we shall know Him increasingly.
Dear Father, open our eyes to behold Thy glory. Reveal to us Your goodness, love, and power. Grip us with the vision of Yourself, and strengthen our hearts to trust You for things great and small, in Your will, for your glory, and the blessing of all. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad