February 27 | GOD’S GLORY

  “The heavens are telling of the glory of God, and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”

PSALM 19:1

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 God’s glory is the radiance of all He is.

In Isaiah’s vision of Heaven, angels called out, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isa. 6:3). What exactly is the glory of God? It encompasses all that He is, the radiance of His attri
butes and divine nature.
Moses said to God, “I pray Thee, show me Thy glory!” (Ex. 33:18), and the Lord answered, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion” (v. 19). Moses was not allowed to see God’s face, which is the essence of His being: “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” (v.20). But Moses was allowed to see God’s back, which represents the afterglow of His glory.
Perhaps God’s afterglow is like the radiance of the sun. We only see the light that comes off the sun. If we got too close to it, we would be consumed. If the sun is so brilliant, what must God be like? His glory seen in creation is only a dim reflection of His character.
God displayed His glory many times in Scripture. He represented Himself as a great white cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night as He led Israel through the wilderness (Ex. 13:21). After the Tabernacle was built, “the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Ex. 40:34). Years later, He filled the temple in a similar way (1 Kings 8:10–11). This manifestation of God’s glory served as the focal point of worship for Israel.
God takes His glory very seriously. He said, “I will not give My glory to another” (Isa. 42:8). We must not steal God’s glory by becoming proud and taking credit for the good things He has done. Instead of taking God’s glory, say with David, “I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Thy name forever” (Ps. 86:12).

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Suggestions for Prayer: Praise God for His glory and majesty.

For Further Study: Read Daniel 4, the story of a powerful man who did not give God the glory. What characterized Nebuchadnezzar in verses 30 and 37?

MacArthur, J. (1997). Strength for today. Crossway Books.

FEBRUARY 3 | RESPONDING TO GOD’S GLORY

We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 CORINTHIANS 3:18

As we glorify God, we begin to grow. Because of the great truths revealed in the New Testament, believers can now view God’s glory more clearly than those under the law could. As we do, we grow spiritually, moving from one level of glory to the next.
At the end of today’s verse, notice that Paul says the Holy Spirit is the one who energizes our growth. The Holy Spirit infuses our lives with His power, taking us through levels of glory toward the image of Christ.
Don’t become preoccupied with the intricacies of the Holy Spirit’s work or with the details of your own activity. Make sure you focus primarily on the glory of the Lord.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : a daily touch of God’s grace (p. 46). J. Countryman.

January 20.—What shall be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour?—Esther 6:6.

NAY, my soul, ask thine own heart what shall be done to the God-man whom Jehovah, the King of kings, delighteth to honour? Oh! for the view of what John saw, and to hear what John heard, when he beheld heaven opened, and heard the innumerable multitude chanting Salvation to God and the Lamb! Lord, I would say, let every knee bow before him, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. And oh! most gracious Father, dost thou take delight that Jesus should be honoured? Is it thine honour when Jesus is honoured; thy glory when Jesus is glorified? Oh! what wonderful encouragement is this to the faith and belief of a poor sinner; that I not only praise my adorable Redeemer when I come to him for all things, and trust him for all things; but these exercises of grace are as acceptable to God my Father, as they are honourable to God the Son. And this is the only way, and a blessed way it is indeed, by which a poor sinner can give glory to the Father, in believing the record which he hath given of his Son. Here, then, my soul, do thou daily be found in honouring the Glory-man, the God-man Christ Jesus, whom God the Father delighteth to honour.

Hawker, R. (1845). The Poor Man’s Morning Portion (p. 17). Robert Carter.

JANUARY 10 | DAILY GLIMPSES OF HIS GLORY

For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

—Isaiah 64:4

Every emotion has its reaction and every pleasurable experience will dim after a while. The human organism is built that way and there is nothing we can do about it. It is well known that the second year of marriage is often the most critical, for then the first excitement has worn off the relationship and the young couple has not had time to acquire a new set of common interests and to learn to accept a more stable if less emotional kind of life.

Only engrossment with God can maintain perpetual spiritual enthusiasm because only God can supply everlasting novelty. In God every moment is new and nothing ever gets old. Of things religious we may become tired; even prayer may weary us; but God never. He can show a new aspect of His glory to us each day for all the days of eternity and still we shall have but begun to explore the depths of the riches of His infinite being….

The sum of all this is that nothing can preserve the sweet savor of our first experience except to be preoccupied with God Himself. Our little rill is sure to run dry unless we keep it replenished from the fountain. GTM127-129

Lord, every day there is indeed some new glimpse of Your glory. May I enter the day today with a holy anticipation! Amen.

Tozer, A. W., & Eggert, R. (2015). Tozer on the almighty god: a 365-day devotional. Moody Publishers.

January 10 | LIVING TO THE GLORY OF GOD

God chose us “to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in [His beloved Son]” (Eph. 1:6).

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You were created to glorify God.

Henry Martyn, an Englishman, served as a missionary in India and Persia in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Upon his arrival in Calcutta he cried out, “Let me burn out for God.” As he watched the people prostrating themselves before their pagan idols and heard blasphemy uttered against Christ, he wrote, “This excited more horror in me than I can well express. … I could not endure existence if Jesus was not glorified; it would be hell to me, if He were to be always thus dishonored” (John Stott, Our Guilty Silence [Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1967], pp. 21, 22).
Martyn had a passion for God’s glory—and he was in good company. Angels glorify God (Luke 2:14), as do the heavens (Ps. 19:1) and even animals (Isa. 43:20). But as a believer, you glorify God in a unique way because you are a testimony to His redeeming grace.
You were created for the purpose of glorifying God—even in the most mundane activities of life, such as eating and drinking (1 Cor. 10:31). You are to flee immorality so you can glorify God in your body (1 Cor. 6:18–20). You are to walk worthy of your calling, so “that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified” (2 Thess. 1:12).
Glorifying God is an enormous privilege and an awesome responsibility. When others see His character on display in your life, it reminds them of His power, goodness, and grace. But when they don’t, God is dishonored, and His character is called into question.
Aim your life at God’s glory; make it the standard by which you evaluate everything you do.

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Suggestions for Prayer: Thank the Lord for the privilege of glorifying Him. ✧ Ask Him to show you any areas of your life that do not honor Him. ✧ Find a trusted Christian friend who will pray with you and hold you accountable for the areas in which you know you need to change.

For Further Study: Read Exodus 33:12–34:9. ✧ What did Moses request? ✧ What was God’s response, and what does this teach us about His glory?

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1993). Drawing Near—Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith (p. 22). Crossway Books.

December 25 | The Purpose of Christ’s Exaltation

“God highly exalted Him … to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:9, 11

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When the Son is glorified, so is the Father.

The purpose of Christ’s exaltation is to glorify God. Philippians 2:11 says Jesus will be acknowledged as Lord “to the glory of God the Father.” In Isaiah 45:5 God says, “I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God.” None can be compared to God. He does not ask anyone for advice. He knows all and does exactly what He wants to do. All His purposes come to pass.

In light of who God says He is, one might assume that it would be blasphemous for everyone to bow to Jesus Christ and confess Him as Lord. To so honor Christ would seem to put Him in competition with the Father.

But the mystery of the Trinity is that when the Son is glorified, the Father is glorified. Perfect glory given to the Son is perfect glory given to the Father. John 5:23 says the Father has given all judgment to the Son “that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” That’s why the Father said of Jesus, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; hear Him!” (Matt. 17:5). When you believe in Jesus Christ and confess Him as Lord, you exalt not only the Son but also the Father. There is no competition within the Trinity. The Father is exalted by what He accomplishes in the Son. They are one.

What a joy to know that our confessing of Jesus as Lord glorifies God. Let’s continue to glorify Him as Lord by bearing spiritual fruit in our lives (see John 15:8).

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Suggestions for Prayer: Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13). Whatever you ask in Christ’s name, do so by acknowledging His sovereignty and desiring that God be glorified.

For Further Study: What do Romans 9:5, 1 Corinthians 15:28, and John 13:31–32 show about the glory of the Father and the Son?¹

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¹  MacArthur, J. (1997). Strength for today. Crossway Books.

November 27 | The glory which You gave Me I have given them.

The prophet Isaiah saw You, Lord, sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of Your robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” These things Isaiah said when he saw Your glory and spoke of You. On the likeness of the throne was a likeness of a man high above it. Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of Your glory, Lord God.

Moses said, “Please, show me Your glory.” But You said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” No one has seen You at any time, Lord God. The only begotten Son, who is in Your bosom, He has declared You. You, who commanded light to shine out of darkness, have shone in my heart to give the light of the knowledge of Your glory in the face of Jesus Christ.

You will be glorified for eternity, Lord. Help me live so I glorify You now!

John 17:22; Isaiah 6:1–3; John 12:41; Ezekiel 1:26, 28; Exodus 33:18, 20; John 1:18; 2 Corinthians 4:6¹

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¹  Jeremiah, D. (2007). Life-Changing Moments With God (p. 354). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

November 18 | A Twofold Objective

Scripture reading: Philippians 4:5–13

Key verse: Psalm 30:5

His anger is but for a moment,

His favor is for life;

Weeping may endure for a night,

But joy comes in the morning.

When things are going your way, it’s easy to attribute the circumstances to the Lord. It is much more difficult to utter praise when you have suffered hurt or injustice.

Jerry Bridges addresses this inner conflict in his book Trusting God:

Well known theologian J. I. Packer defines providence as, “The unceasing activity of the Creator, whereby, in overflowing bounty and goodwill, He upholds His creatures in ordered existence, guides and governs all events, circumstances, and free acts of angels and men, and directs everything to its appointed goal, for His own glory.”

Clearly there is no concept of stop-and-go, part-time governance on God’s part in this definition … Nothing, not even the smallest virus, escapes His care and control. But note also, the twofold objective of God’s providence: His own glory and the good of His people. These two objectives are never antithetical; they are always in harmony with each other. God never pursues His glory at the expense of the good of His people, nor does He ever seek our good at the expense of His glory.

What comfort and encouragement this should be to us. If we are going to learn to trust God in adversity, we must believe that just as certainly as God will allow nothing to subvert His glory, so He will allow nothing to spoil the good He is working out in us and for us.

Reveal Your glory through me, Father. I know that nothing will spoil the good You are working in and through me.¹

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¹  Stanley, C. F. (2000). Into His presence (p. 337). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

OCTOBER 28 | THE GLORY OF GOD HAS DEPARTED

Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.

—Ezekiel 10:18

The world is evil, the times are waxing late, and the glory of God has departed from the Church as the fiery cloud once lifted from the door of the Temple in the sight of Ezekiel the prophet.

The God of Abraham has withdrawn His conscious Presence from us, and another god whom our fathers knew not is making himself at home among us. This god we have made and because we have made him we can understand him; because we have created him he can never surprise us, never overwhelm us, nor astonish us, nor transcend us.

The God of glory sometimes revealed Himself like a sun to warm and bless, indeed, but often to astonish, overwhelm, and blind before He healed and bestowed permanent sight. This God of our fathers wills to be the God of their succeeding race. We have only to prepare Him a habitation in love and faith and humility. We have but to want Him badly enough, and He will come and manifest Himself to us. KOH067-068

Come once again in all Your glory, great God. We’ve lost so much in losing Your presence among us. Come once more and manifest Yourself clearly to us. Amen. ¹

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¹  Tozer, A. W., & Eggert, R. (2015). Tozer on the almighty god: a 365-day devotional. Moody Publishers.