Advent Journey: Day 11, Glory

Glory

Today's Advent word is Glory.  My little boy gets so excited when he opens the advent box each day and pulls out the paper, as if he knows it's something powerful, something life-changing.  Today's word does convey power and something that changes our lives.  The glory of Christ.

After we opened the box this morning, we had breakfast, and as is our usual habit, the two of us listened to a sermon online as we ate together.  (Being a busy mom and also having vision challenges these days, reading isn't as easy as it used to be for me, so I take in more sermons than I get to read books...but it is a real blessing to have awesome apps on my iPhone with fantastic sermon resources!)  We often listen to one of my favorite Bible teachers, Alistair Begg, from Truth for Life ministries.  I think Joey enjoys Alistair's Scottish brogue almost as much as I do...no surprise, as my baby boy is a decent percentage of Scottish in heritage.  Well, what do you know- this morning Alistair quoted from John 1:14.  I love it when God drives home a word or a theme or a truth into our hearts.  Yes, today's word was glory, and the Lord made sure to remind me!

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,

and we have seen His glory,

glory as of the only Son from the Father,

full of grace and truth. 

(John 1:14)

I also love how the Amplified Bible puts it:

And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception).

There we have it, friends.  Christ our God in Heaven became human.  He lived among us, breathed this air, walked this earth, experienced this world- the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Countless people witnessed His power and glory during His time on earth.  I think back to day one of our Advent Journey together and how the shepherds beheld his glory on that starry night in Bethlehem, long, long ago.  I think back to day three of our jAdvent Journey and I am reminded that Christ is the light of the world, so glorious, so bright.  I think back to day five and consider His pure Holiness.  I think back to day nine and I stand in awe of the perfect Divinity of Christ. I think back to yesterday and see HIs beauty.  On our journey just over the past 11 days, we have truly beheld His glory.

I did a search for the number of times the word glory is found in Scripture.  The New Revised Standard Version came up with 443 verses!  Oh how I want to dig deeper, to sink further into the greatness of this glory.  I want to know the full grace and full truth of Jesus Christ. I want to behold Him and experience Him.  I want to realize that Emmanuel is still with us. He is here, today, now- in full splendor and power and majesty.

Let's take a moment now and praise God along with King David, who offered up these two prayers of praise, calling attention to God's glory:

...O LORD, the God of our ancestor Israel, may You be praised forever and ever! Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty.  Everything in the heavens and on earth is Yours. O LORD, and this is Your kingdom.  We adore You as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from You alone, for You rule over everything. Power and might are in Your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength."

(1 Chronicles 29:10-12)

Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors,

    and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory?

    The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle.

9 

Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors,

    and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory?

    The Lord of Heaven’s Armies— he is the King of glory. 

(Psalm 24:7-10)